Folks,

A Brief History of U.S. Navy Torpedo Development, sometimes called OP 353W or TD5436. This report covers the growth/development of the "auto-mobile" or self-propelled torpedo in the U.S. Navy from torpedo inception in Europe by Robert Whitehead in 1866 up to and including Torpedo Mk 48 of 1978. Part I is a narrative of the historical aspects of the evolution, while part II contains illustrations and characteristics of each of the torpedoes that was in development or is/was in service use over the 112-year period.

Although limited by what was still classified in 1978, it remains an easy reference to most of the US Torpedoes. This document is not classified. By letter Ser 700OC/90, 2007, this docuement is now approved for Public Release, distribution unlimited. Information on more recent, including current inventory, U.S. Navy torpedoes may be found at:
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2100&tid=900&ct=2

In this online version of the manual we have attempted to keep the flavor of the original layout while taking advantage of the Web's universal accessibility. Different browsers and fonts will cause the text to move, but the text will remain roughly where it is in the original manual. We have attempted to preserve the text of the original manual, including its eccentric spelling. We have accidently introduced new typos that we wish to correct.

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Readers interested in torpedo tubes on Fleet and Guppy submarines, should look at:
Torpedo Tubes, 21-Inch submerged, Mks 32 to 39, O.P. 1085.

Richard Pekelney
Online Version Editor, Feb 2004

E.W. Jolie
Weapons Systems Department

Naval Underwater Systems Center
Newport Laboratory

Distribution limited to U.S. Government agencies only;
test and evaluation; 15 September 1978.
Other requests for this document must be referred
to the Naval Underwater Systems Center.

In the preparation of this report, the author has relied on the archival holdings of the Naval Underwater Systems Center and resource material made available by current NUSC staff members. Particular thanks are due to Mr. A. E. Burke of the Weapon Systems Staff, Mr. R. R. Corridon of the Technical Shops Department, and Mr. A. J. Turner of the Weapon Systems Department; and the efforts of Ms. P. A. Ellis, Mr. M. A. deSa, and Mr. R. A. Thibodeau of the Information Services Department in editing and illustrating this report are gratefully acknowledged. Other persons too numerous to mention have also provided both information and support in the preparation of this document.

This report is presented with the awareness that parts of the story could be treated only as fully as the resource material permitted. Suggestions for additions, corrections, or other improvements will be welcomed at any time.

REVIEWED AND APPROVED: 15 September 1978

J. E. Sirmalis
Head, Weapon Systems Department

The author of this report is located
at the Newport Laboratory, Naval Underwater
Systems Center, Newport, Rhode Island 02840.

This document is an attempt to present in an organized way, and thereby preserve, what is known of the history of torpedo development while the resources are still available. The last known attempt at a comprehensive treatment of this special weapon form in the United States was the "History of the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station." Compiled around 1946 and covering the time period from 1869 through 1945, the document (by subject and by design) presents a parochial view, and its seven volumes are concerned primarily with the "steam" torpedo and the Navy in-house effort in the development of an electric torpedo. A limited but outstanding history of the early passive acoustic homing torpedoes is a volume by Albers.¹

This history is based for the most part on source material from the archives of the Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport Laboratory, Newport, Rhode Island (successor to the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station) and the files of its current staff. The limiting factor on the depth of treatment of some torpedoes is the availability of information; the darkest spot is the era between 1900 and 1930. Since a main objective was to present the information in an unclassified document, security classification limited the details and discussion of the more current torpedoes.

From the days of its inception by Howell and Whitehead, the torpedo has been a keystone in naval tactical development. The destroyer and submarine came into being as a result of the need for a launch platform for the torpedo. The torpedo's awesome potential was demonstrated on a large scale in World War I when the German U-boats sank 5400 Allied ships with a total displacement of 11,189,000 tons.

In spite of their problems and seemingly endless adverse publicity by critics, the U.S. Navy submarine torpedoes in World War II were credited with sinking 1314 Japanese ships for a total of 5,100,000 tons accounting for 55 percent of all World War II Japanese ship losses. Thus, the torpedo, which in the 1880's "stirred naval tacticians more profoundly than any weapon produced,"² demonstrated its tremendous effectiveness in a time of great need.

This document is divided into two sections. Part 1 is a brief narrative on the history of the various torpedoes. Part 2 presents the physical and performance characteristics of the individual torpedoes as well as a simple illustration of the shape of the weapon. A chronology of significant events relating to the development of modern torpedoes is given as appendix A, while a list of the former and current identities of various developers and producers of the modern torpedo is presented as appendix B.

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