An HMS Hood Secret Reviled!!

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

A few days ago I got a book from the local library called Anatomy of the Ship The Battlecruiser Hood by John Roberts. Published by the Naval Institute Press for those who are interseted. Anyways this book uncovered a secret of the HMS Hood that only a few know about. The Hood had TORPEDO TUBES!!!! This book breaks down everything about the Hood and on page 30 there is a picture on the top left of the page showing one of the tubes. The book states that it is a MK V above-water torpedo tube. I have also found the location of these tubes. They are located in the forward section of the ship and very close to the first main gun turret. The torpedo head magazine is directly under these rooms,the torpedo lift is located in front of the first turret and connect to the submerged torpedo room. The torpedo body room is located above the submerged torpedo room, seperated by the refridgerating machinery compartment and the vegetable room but is connected by the torpedo lift to the submerged torpedo room. Oddly though there is a torpedo control tower located behind the searchlight control postion located aft, yet there are no tubes in that part of the ship.:doh: Edit: There are indeed two torpedo tubes located in the aft part of the ship. These are the above water tubes. The thing that put me off was the fact that the tube doors aren't like those on a sub, but are shaped much like two large hatches on eather side of the ship under the aft mast.

[Oberon]

Oooh errr! :huh:

Does make sense though, I mean, it's a popular anti-ship weapon. Pity she never really got the chance to use them :cry:

[CCIP]

Most capital ships in that period actually had torpedo tubes. I don't believe Bismarck carried any, but Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were all equipped with them for example.

[Torplexed]

HMS Rodney went down in history as the only battleship to torpedo another when she used her tubes to fire on the already battered Bismarck at the finale of the Bismarck chase. It's not known if they hit tho.

A lot of the older American battleships had torpedo tubes in the planning stage. However it was decided to plate them over or delete them all together.

[Stierlitz]

http://www.hmshood.com/ship/torpedo.htm

[Sailor Steve]

Most capital ships in that period actually had torpedo tubes. I don't believe Bismarck carried any, but Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were all equipped with them for example.
Hood was actually a WWI-era ship, and literally all of the capital ships built between 1890 and 1930 had torpedo tubes.

At least one source indicates that the tubes were removed in the 1930s.

[Phobus]

The Hood was fitted with 21ins Mk IV and IV* torpedoes. Two tubes were below the waterline, just ahead of 'A' turret, and four at the upper deck level just about abeam the main mast. Their amrmored doors are quite distinctive in most photos. Ahead of them, and abeam the after funnel, are the two blanked off doors for two more tubes, which though planned for, were were never fitted.

Details from Anatomy Of The Ship, The Battlecruiser Hood, John Roberts. Published by Conway Maritime Press 1982.

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

If the two aft tubes where removed then why where tube doors still in place? The book that I use shows the tube doors still in place as of May 1941.

[Blacklight]

So... when are the battleship torpedo tubes going to get modded into the game ? :D

[GT182]

If the two aft tubes where removed then why where tube doors still in place? The book that I use shows the tube doors still in place as of May 1941.

Ventilation, as I gets rather stuffy smellin those farts all day. ;) Gotta fresh air in there somehow.

[USS_Trigger]

it clearly states the 4 above water tubes remained intact till her sinking, while the 2 submerged tubes near A turret were removed in 1937

[Sailor Steve]

I didn't really register the title of the thread until it was revived. I'm now surprised; the existence of the torpedo tubes is hardly unknown - they were standard on all capital ships of the WW1 era.

[Wulfmann]

Torpedo tubes on capital ships were far more dangerous to the ship that had them than to an enemy engaged, as history has proven.
Lutzow at Jutland took a good pounding and it was the hit in the torpedo room that doomed the ship causing the decision to scuttle her. Some believe Lutzow not having these unneeded TT in her design would have been the difference with her making port.

Scharnhorst and Gneisenau did not have torpedo tubes until after their Atlantic raid. Lutjens felt some simple TT would have sped things up in sinking slow or disabled merchant ships. Each then had a triple mount added to each side but no aiming device other than a simple on mount obe for close range only. Unlike most capital ship TTs which were intended for battle these were just for close range demolition. Their fish were kept in above deck lockers and had virtually no protection and Scharnhorst' were disabled by splinters in her last battle.

Wulfmann

[StarFox]

If i remember correctly, the torpedo tubes on the HMS Hood were the main reason they were able to quickly confirm that the wreck had been found, when it was discovered in 2001.