Some questions on torpedoes for you real sub people...

Chock · 05-08-07, 04:34 AM

Okay, no big deal if nobody knows the answer to these, but if someone could enlighten me, it's something I'm curious about.

Although I have stacks of books and material on submarines, one thing they have never actually adequately explained is how the data from the TDC is actually transmitted to the torpedo in the tube in WW2 subs. It's easy to understand how this is done with modern subs, as most modern torpedoes have a wire link or some complicated telemetry gear inside them able to receive data, but when a WW2 torpedo was shut up in the flooded tube, how would it be connected to the TDC in order to update a solution?

I know that there was a mechanical gearing device in the tube somewhere that would turn a gyro setting on the torpedo and this apparently is called a spindle. I'm guessing this thing engaged a bit like a clutch-plate on a car transmission.

But was this spindle thingy on the door or in the tube alongside the torpedo, and was it fully automatic?

Presumably this was the thing that made loading torpedoes take a while, as when you look at torpedo loading times in SH, it seems rather a long time considering all they have to do is crank a handle and slide the thing in a tube (after getting it off a rack obviously). Was it aligning the torpedo with the spindle device that made things take a while, or the lining it up with the tube? Perhaps it was heating up the batteries that took the time?

In Run Silent, Run Deep, it looks like the torpedo guys are manually altering settings on the closed torpedo tubes as the data for the solution is relayed to them, and some other sub movies seem to portray this kind of thing too, with orders being verbally passed along from the conning tower. Anyone know the definitive answer to these puzzles?

Any answers would certainly be interesting and enlightening

Chock

05-08-07, 04:34 AM	#1
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Some questions on torpedoes for you real sub people... Okay, no big deal if nobody knows the answer to these, but if someone could enlighten me, it's something I'm curious about. Although I have stacks of books and material on submarines, one thing they have never actually adequately explained is how the data from the TDC is actually transmitted to the torpedo in the tube in WW2 subs. It's easy to understand how this is done with modern subs, as most modern torpedoes have a wire link or some complicated telemetry gear inside them able to receive data, but when a WW2 torpedo was shut up in the flooded tube, how would it be connected to the TDC in order to update a solution? I know that there was a mechanical gearing device in the tube somewhere that would turn a gyro setting on the torpedo and this apparently is called a spindle. I'm guessing this thing engaged a bit like a clutch-plate on a car transmission. But was this spindle thingy on the door or in the tube alongside the torpedo, and was it fully automatic? Presumably this was the thing that made loading torpedoes take a while, as when you look at torpedo loading times in SH, it seems rather a long time considering all they have to do is crank a handle and slide the thing in a tube (after getting it off a rack obviously). Was it aligning the torpedo with the spindle device that made things take a while, or the lining it up with the tube? Perhaps it was heating up the batteries that took the time? In Run Silent, Run Deep, it looks like the torpedo guys are manually altering settings on the closed torpedo tubes as the data for the solution is relayed to them, and some other sub movies seem to portray this kind of thing too, with orders being verbally passed along from the conning tower. Anyone know the definitive answer to these puzzles? Any answers would certainly be interesting and enlightening Chock