Damn premature explosion

[Bubblehead1980]

TMO 2.1 RSRD

August 28, 1942 South-West of Truk. USS Plunger Porpoise Class

While on war patrol number 5 in the USS Plunger and on surface about 0500, I made my way to the bridge to watch the oncoming dawn, get some fresh air before diving for the day.While scanning the horizion I spotted a large grey blop(before my lookouts had), I steadied on bearing 045 and could telling it was a large vessel of some time(no SJ radar installed yet) so I called GQ and plotted an intercept course best I could.

Soon morning twilight was coming on and could tell there other ships(smaller blops in distance) with this one large blop, the pagoda like structure up high brought one word to mind....battleship.With the plot looking good and fearing would be spotted and become a target of the BB's large guns, I ordered a dive to 100 feet and Ahead Full.Sound confirmed we had a big gal as we could hear heavy screws.

I soon came to scope depth for a look and slowed...she was a battleship allright, the Yamato.I soon set my four remaining Mark 14's(four bow tubes) to appropriate depth settings and plotted the remainder of the intercept.I should be able to close to 1400 yards to fire a spread.The Yamato was making 12 knots, with 3 Destroyers escorting and a Taiyo Escort Carrier in the rear.After a tense approach including sliding just past a destroyer(heavy seas helped mask me no doubt) I came back to scope depth and opened outer doors.The Yamato came on quickly and when at bearing 000, I fired my first fish, 8 seconds later another to the Middle Of Target.The last two were set to to hit forward and aft via the spread knob on TDC.

Soon the faulty Mark 14's proved ran true to their reputation as torpedo 2 prematurely exploded, followed seconds later by number 4.Torpedo then followed but number 1 seemed to be okay as it was just 100 yards or so from hitting, then 50 when it prematurely exploded

Prime target such as Yamato escaped unscathed as I was out of torpedos and even if I had any left, they wouldve made it to Truk before I could move ahead again.AHH.

Knowing RSRD often follows historical records for movements of ships such as Yamato, I began to think and then using the Tabular Record of Movement for Yamato I found that On August 28, 1942 USS Flying Fish was near Truk when it spotted the Yamato along with Taiyo and 3 DD's.Since Yamato was not in the ID book, she was indentified as a Kongo BB.Flying Fish fired four Mark 14 torpedos and heard some explosions but all were prematures and not impacts.

Out of fish I headed home with two large freighters down but could have been much better of a patrol if torpedos had worked.A very very small idea of the aggravation they faced

[Soviet Creeper]

Bad luck. How does it work?

Atleast you didnt get a circle torpedo when you found the yamato. *cough*

[TorpexXIII]

Is this historically accurate though? Out of four torps fired all four prem ex? Sounds a bit harsh to me...

[White Owl]

Originally Posted by TorpexXIII

Is this historically accurate though? Out of four torps fired all four prem ex? Sounds a bit harsh to me...

I bet the crew of the USS Flying Fish thought it was a bit harsh too...

[WernherVonTrapp]

During the battle of Midway, the Nautilus fired 4 torpedoes at the (I think) Akagi. All 4 torpedoes malfunctioned, one never even left the tube. That was a 100% failure rate.

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by TorpexXIII

Is this historically accurate though? Out of four torps fired all four prem ex? Sounds a bit harsh to me...

Yes it is accurate.There are many accounts of all torpedos fired failing in some way.There are accounts of all prematurely exploding such as whne Flying Fish fired at Yamato etc. I think it's a shame no one ever faced court martial for the torpedo debacle.

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

During the battle of Midway, the Nautilus fired 4 torpedoes at the (I think) Akagi. All 4 torpedoes malfunctioned, one never even left the tube. That was a 100% failure rate.

Somehow I never knew about the above mentioned incident, hmm.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

Somehow I never knew about the above mentioned incident, hmm.

That's because by most accounts, the Nautilus was credited with finishing off the Akagi. The truth, brought to light in the book "Shattered Sword", shows that even according to US Navy records (and IJN records), none of the torpedoes ever struck the carrier.

[White Owl]

I recently read We Were Pirates, detailing the service of Bob Hunt as a torpedoman on the Tambor for twelve war patrols. The chapter about Midway talks a little bit about the Nautilus.

Brockman, having shadowed the Japanese Striking Force all day, and having been attacked repeatedly, climbed to periscope depth yet again and sighted a burning carrier eight miles off. Creeping forward submerged at three to four knots, he closed on the motionless ship, then set up carefully for his shot. At 1359 he ordered four torpedoes away. One failed to leave its tube, but the remaining three sped toward their target. Through the periscope Brockman watched his fish cover the 2700 yards between him and the carrier, then observed: "Red flames appeared along the ship from bow to amidships [and] many men were seen going over the side." Then destroyers charged him and he took his boat down to three hundred feet, satisfied that he'd sunk his carrier. After the war, however, when American and Japanese records were correlated, the sinking was erased. The ship had been the Kaga, and surviving crew members recalled that two near misses had passed the bow and stern. Only the middle torpedo struck the ship, but it failed to explode and broke in two. The warhead sank and the after body bobbed to the surface, where sailors thrown into the water by the dive-bomber hits used it as a life buoy. One climbed up and straddled it like a cowboy, making the others laugh despite their peril.

So at first glance this looks like two malfunctioning torpedoes and two clean misses... But I have to wonder just how Nautilus' skipper could have missed a stationary aircraft carrier at 2700 yards; missed it not once, but twice! Is it possible those torpedoes didn't run quite straight?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

A very very small idea of the aggravation they faced

ComSubPac wishes to verify the accuracy and reliability of our torpedoes, and asks you to stop making excuses for poor shooting.

Just thought I'd add to your historically accurate aggravation.

[Daniel Prates]

Originally Posted by White Owl

Is it possible those torpedoes didn't run quite straight?

There were several different issues, like the torpedo running too deep, or the magnetic detonator not working. So it is not only a matter of missing the target, the torpedo may have got there but not detonated for some other reason.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by White Owl

But I have to wonder just how Nautilus' skipper could have missed a stationary aircraft carrier at 2700 yards; missed it not once, but twice! Is it possible those torpedoes didn't run quite straight?

Two torps broke up upon impact, parts of them bobbing in the water alongside the carrier. If I remember correctly, one ran deep, but I'm not sure. If you read Shattered Sword, you'll wonder no more. Everything is laid out in meticulous detail. As a matter of fact, I don't ever recall reading any book with as much attention to detail, using illustrations, photos and way too many references to describe, as this book contains. I dare say that it'll be the most intriguing book you'll ever read about the PTO.
It made me a believer, and if you read the book, you'll understand exactly why.
Forgive me for not citing the book text, but I hate typing long passages.

[Armistead]

From Headquarters:

The designers say the M14 work perfectly and tire of excuses from sub Captains.....

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

ComSubPac wishes to verify the accuracy and reliability of our torpedoes, and asks you to stop making excuses for poor shooting.

Just thought I'd add to your historically accurate aggravation.

lol steve

[Daniel Prates]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

... one never even left the tube...

Imagine it blowing up inside the torpedo room. I mean, they had minimum running distances before activating, but that probably had some flaw too.

Anyone know anything, true or simulated, about a torpedo blowing up before reaching arming distance? Or that was (for a change) above failures?