Acoustic Torpedo

Red Devil · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 1:45 pm Post subject: Acoustic Torpedo

Hey, something strange happened, and has never happened before in any scenario or year. Two nights ago, I was in mission 1,567,789 Wink

and I fired a torpedo through a convoy at a tanker on the far column, 2700 yards away. The torpedo ran true until it got near to a merchantman in the near column, the torpedo then turned and followed the merchant, blowing its stern off! An acoustic torpedo!!!!

So - where did it come from and why has it not appeared before? I am in a Gato in 43.

Hitman · Joined: 14 Sep 2002 Posts: 3059 Location: Spain

Hum...we certainly equipped the US subs with accoustic eels (MK27 ??) in late war, but I think that should be not before late 1944...strange :hmm:

Will go through the Gato file again to see if the ammo store ships accoustic torpedoes in 1943 :8 Cool

Red Devil · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:05 pm Post subject:

Just checked my saves, the last save is Dec 43.

TLAM Strike · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:23 pm Post subject:

I've seen the cutie in ‘43, didn't know it shouldn't be there... :hmm:

Red Devil · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:48 pm Post subject:

It has never manifested itself before on my pc.

MadMike · Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 533

From what I can gather from war patrol reports so far, the earliest I can find a Mk27 on a sub is 20 Feb 45 (USS Icefish, patrol 3). Will do some more research tonight at work...

Yours, Mike

WWII Silent Service Homepage

http://www.geocities.com/wwiisilentservice/index.html

MadMike · Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 533

First use of the Mark 27 "Cutie" torpedo by a U.S. sub in combat was by the USS Sea Owl (Balao) during it's first war patrol, started 19 November 1944.

Yours, Mike

Red Devil · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:50 am Post subject:

Thanks, so mine was a time warped fluke!

sergbuto · Joined: 14 Sep 2002 Posts: 2530 Location: Sweden

Mark 27 torpedoes were in service since some time in 1943. That is why you get it in PA around that time.

Red Devil · Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject:

Problems with torpedoes in the Pacific were well documented, many many being duds, especially in the early campaigns but the Germans did n't have acoustic torpedoes until late 43, if my memory serves me correctly, but only two or three per sub. If the USA had them at the same time approx then I wonder why I had not read about them being in use before?

Hitman · Joined: 14 Sep 2002 Posts: 3059 Location: Spain

The US certainly had an acoustic eel in 1943. The concept had been developed for some time and it was used against the germans in the Biscay Bay with airplanes. The secrecy about this weapon was so high that even the airplane pilots were not told about what they were carrying, just how they had to launch it. The abreviated codename of the weapon was FIDO.

It scored several successes against crash diving or submerged U-Boots in the Biscay Bay, and I suppose it was ported to the US submarines quite fast, but not employed widely until some months later.

MadMike · Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Posts: 533

The Mk27 submarine torpedo had some mechanical problems which resulted in a delay in being fielded.
I have about 35 war patrol reports from various boats and none mention being loaded with Mk27's until November '44 and January '45.
If anyone can find any info before the Sea Owl's 19 November 1944 patrol, let me know.

Yours, Mike