21-in Weymouth Mark II Torpedo

From The Dreadnought Project
Revision as of 17:38, 30 November 2012 by Tone (talk | contribs) (→‎Mark II)
Jump to navigationJump to search

The 21-in Weymouth Mark II Torpedo was a heater torpedo built by Whitehead. The company loaned a single experimental torpedo to the Royal Navy in 1913.[1]

Development and History

At the start of the war, all 21-in Weymouth torpedoes in England were purchased. Among these were twenty-four 21-in Weymouth Mark IIs intended for Japan. These were given to foreign-ordered vessels whose tubes could accommodate them.

Mark II

These originally had settings for:[2]

  • 40 knots to 2,000m
  • 38 knots to 3,500m
  • 30 knots to 7,000m
  • 25 knots to 10,000m

Six of the 24 torpedoes bought up at the outbreak of war were given to Broke with slight modifications.

They had 4 cylinder Whitehead engines.

The torpedoes had an extreme range of 12,000 metres at unstated speed and settings for:

  • 38 knots to 3,500 metres
  • 25 knots to 10,000 metres

The warhead was 350 pounds of T.N.T..

A.V. pressure of 2,200 psi in 21.7 cubic inches, holding 249 pounds when fully charged.

These had an overall length of 262.71 inches without a pistol (which would add 4.5 or 5 more inches), a total weight of 2,908 +/- 10 pounds, all on, and double valve Mark I* type depth gear.[3]

The passing tests for Broke included three runs to 3,000 yards at 37.5-38.5 knots, retaining 800 psi of air, and others. These torpedoes required side lugs to work with Broke's Service single revolving tubes.[4]

Mark II 6.5m

Eighteen of 24 torpedoes were given to Erin (10), and Agincourt (8), but their Elswick type submerged tubes required the torpedoes to be shortened to 6.5m from 6.8m by removing a section at the rear of the head. These were like the Mark II except as follows.

They had more settings to an extreme range of 12,000m:[5]

  • 41 knots to 1,000 metres
  • 41 knots to 2,000 metres [sic]
  • 38 knots to 3,500 metres
  • 29 knots to 7,000 metres
  • 25 knots to 10,000 metres

The warhead was lighter than the unmodified Mark II's: 215 pounds of T.N.T..

These had an overall length of 255.72 inches with 5 inch Weymouth pistol, a total weight of 2,794 +/- 8 pounds, all on, and Ulan type depth gear.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1913. p. 8.
  2. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1914. p. 12.
  3. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1914. p. 11.
  4. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1914. p. 11.
  5. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1914. pp. 10-11.

Bibliography

See Also

Retrieved from "http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php?title=21-in_Weymouth_Mark_II_Torpedo&oldid=64864"