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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NAVAL UNDERSEA MUSEUM FOUNDATION

SUMMER QUARTER 2013

In This Issue...............Page Guest Contributor. History of the Torpedo and Relevance.....1, 4-9

THE HISTORY OF THE TORPEDO AND THE RELEVANCE TO TODAY’S U.S. NAVY

By Russell Thomas

2013 Contributors. ................... 2 President’s Message................. 3 Editor’s Message....................... 3 Museum Store. Are Your Ready for Summer?............................ 10 Book Review by Larry Tucker.

Torpedo Junction............... 11-12 A Bit of Undersea History.

Robert Whitehead...............13-14 Personnel Directory................ 14 Invitation to Participate........... 15 Tolling the Boats 2013............. 16

navalunderseamuseum.org

Reprinted with permission from the Naval History and Heritage Command The torpedo is a descendant of the floating mine. To identify the historical track of the torpedo, one must first learn of its different stages of evolution.

The earliest documentation to support the torpedo’s first use dates back as early as 1585 by the Dutch, where torpedoes were actually a ship packed with explosives. The ships moored alongside their potential victims. Floating kegs of gunpowder took the place of ships in the Battle of the Kegs at Philadelphia in 1778 during the Revolutionary War. These floating mines were uncontrollable; they had no anchor and drifted downstream with the current. The primary purpose of these weapons was to attack a ship at its most vulnerable point, the waterline.

Early Torpedo Development

The use of the torpedo in the United States dates as far back as 1775. David Bushnell of Connecticut possesses the title of “Father of the Torpedo and Mining Warfare”1. His approach to underwater warfare was the beginning of American torpedo and mine warfare. He discovered that gunpowder could be detonated underwater.

He designed a one-man submarine boat that would submerge and attach a gunpowder magazine to the hull of a ship.

His submarine boat, the Turtle, was not the first submersible craft, but it was the first to employ a weapon. The Turtle made its pioneering first attack in 1776 against the blockading squadron of the English fleet in New York harbor. Sergeant Ezra Lee piloted the Turtle; his attempt continued ON page 4

2 SUMMER QUARTER 2013 UNDERSEA Quarterly

SPRING 2013 Volume 17, Number 1 Undersea Quarterly is the newsletter of the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation.

It is published quarterly by the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation in Keyport, Washington. The Naval Undersea Museum Foundation is a private, nonprofit, charitable corporation dedicated to supporting the Naval Undersea Museum. The foundation is not a part of nor sponsored by the Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy, which operates the museum.

Navy Region Northwest Naval Undersea Museum 1103 Hunley Road Silverdale, Washington 98315-1103 360/396-4148 Fax: 360/396-7944 Director: Mrs. Lindy Dosher; Education: Vacant; Curator: Mrs. Mary Ryan; Exhibits: Vacant Collection Management: Mrs. Jennifer Heinzelman and Mrs. Lorraine Scott.; Operations Manager: Mrs. Olivia Wilson; Facilities/Data Entry: US Navy personnel Naval Undersea Museum Foundation P.O. Box 408 Keyport, Washington 98345 360/697-1129 President: RADM Bruce A. Harlow, JAGC, USN (Ret); Executive Vice-President, West: Vacant; Secretary/Treasurer: Ms. Bettye J. Shifrin; General Counsel: John A. Bishop; Trustees: Mr. Robert Anderson; Mr. John A. Bogen; CAPT Larry Carter, USN (Ret); Mr. Donald Chalupka; RADM George W. Davis, VI, USN (Ret); RDML Craig Dorman, USN (Ret); Mr. Alfred V. Gangnes; RADM Bruce Harlow, JAGC, USN (Ret); CAPT Ronald Krell, USN (Ret); CAPT Michael Mathews, USN (Ret); CAPT Charles Meeker, USN (Ret); Mr. Bruce Riggins; Vice Presidents: Mr. Theodore Barreaux; Mr. Alan Beam; CAPT Robert Hoag, USN (Ret); Mr. Will Lent; Dr. Wayne Sandstrom; CAPT Charles Wilbur, USN (Ret) Executive Assistant: Ms. Bettye Shifrin Museum Store Manager: Mrs. Daina Birnbaums Undersea Quarterly Editor: Ms. Bettye Shifrin Mailing/Membership: Mr. John Bogen Printing: Kitsap Printing Printed on recycled paper Š 2013 NUMF

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2013 CONTRIBUTORS

The Foundation gratefully acknowledges contributions made in 2013 to the museum by individuals, businesses or other organizations.

Foundation Associate RADM Herbert M. Bridge, USNR (Ret) and Ms. Edie Hilliard Dr. and Mrs. Wayne M. Sandstrom Mr. James R. Sisley Patron RADM and Mrs. George W. Davis, USN (Ret) Seat in the Future Mrs. Patt Hannan Dennis and Patt Hannan, Pearl Harbor Survivors CAPT Charles H. Wilbur, USN In recognition of William Galvani Benefactor Mr. and Mrs. John H. Dalton Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Lewis Builder RADM Robert L. Baker, USN (Ret) Mr. and Mrs. Burton O. Boyd CAPT Jack G. Fletcher, USN (Ret) Ms. Elise Gillette Gifts in Kind Mr. Robert J. Kuehne Kathie Barbaro, CPA Ms. Susan Kuehne John Bogen Mrs. Amanda Loveless Frank Hutson Mr. William Langenberg Joe Ekstedt Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Moore Dick Levon Ms. Ann Sisley Art Schrom Mr. G.E. Thornton Larry Tucker Mr. James Vorosmarti All of the Volunteers CAPT Charles H. Wilbur, USN Foundation Board Members CAPT Christos Zirps, USN (Ret) Provider Mr. Charles G. Brunnquell Mr. Roy D. Carter Mr. Brett S. Dungan LCDR R. A. Dungan Mr. and Mrs. Marwin E. Holm Mr. Ernest LeVon Ms. Helen Langer Smith Levels of Giving Foundation Associates: $1000+ Seat-in-the-Future: $500 each Patrons: $500-$999 Benefactors: $250-$499 Builders: $100-$249 Providers: $25-$99

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From the President...

Bruce Harlow

ANNUAL MEETING UPDATE The Foundation hosted our Annual Meeting of Trustees and Members in late May. Our museum director, Lindy Dosher, provided an update on plans for updating and refurbishing museum properties and facilities.

Earlier this year, new carpeting on the first floor was installed along with restroom upgrades. The Pier Room exhibit area has been dismantled, recarpeted, and repainted and has become a more serviceable space for exhibitry. Currently in place is a Curator’s Choice exhibit with a selected variety of artifacts on display. There are also plans to refurbish the auditorium with fresh paint, new lighting and new equipment. The Trieste and Deep Quest are in need of refurbishment also, including the interior. There have been staff changes, turnovers and new billets added; however, because of sequester hiring freeze, these billets remain unfilled.

James Kuhn, Chief Operating Officer for the Naval Heritage and History Command, briefed our Trustees prior to our annual meeting and spoke of the new vision for the entire Navy museum community.

There are nine navy museums under this command and NHHC is working to create specific identities and missions for each facility. NHHC also envisions that this community of navy museums would operate in a symbiotic method, each assisting the others with their own functions, including fundraising.

The trustees then met in executive session and conducted foundation business, including approval of the budgets, election of trustees, and discussion of a new initiative involving a possible cooperative effort with the University of Washington and its participation in the National Science Foundation’s Ocean Observatories Initiative.

We welcome your comments at any time and deeply appreciate your contributions in these tough financial times. Thank you for continuing to be a participating member of our foundation.

BRUCE HARLOW

From the Editor...

The Naval Undersea Museum’s mission is to preserve, collect and interpret Naval undersea history, science and operations for the benefit of the U.S. Navy and the people of the United States. The Museum houses a unique collection of artifacts, including the most complete assemblage of torpedoes. The next several newsletters will highlight the torpedoes in historical, chronological development, beginning with the Whitehead torpedo. We are appreciative of the Naval History and Heritage Command’s permission to reprint the cover article on the development of torpedoes.

This planned series of articles is particularly topical and newsworthy because of the recent discovery of a rare Howell torpedo off the coast of California. The discovery was made by the bottlenose dolphins being trained to find undersea

objects that cannot be detected by any current technology. Until this find, the only Howell known to be in existence was the one on display here in our own museum! All of the photos of torpedoes on display in the article were taken in our exhibit halls; the Mk 46, Mk 48 and Mk 50 torpedoes are also on display with accompanying descriptions and technical specifications.

We are also especially grateful to Larry Tucker, one of our volunteers, who has consistently provided book reviews and other articles for publication. His constant attention to our newsletter helps to maintain the quality for which we strive. Thank you also to Bill Gluth who provides his proofreading skills for each issue as well as an occasional article or two.

BETTYE SHIFRIN

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THE HISTORY OF THE TORPEDO ... to fasten a 150-lb mine to the hull of Lord Howe’s flagship was unsuccessful. Due to monetary constraints, no further improvements came about.

Robert Fulton continued the development of the floating mine in 1797. Fulton’s ideas were not intended for wartime use, but to prevent war at sea by rendering the world’s naval fleets obsolete.

His first attempt came in 1797 during the French Revolution. The results were questionable. The weapon was a rudimentary locomotive torpedo.

After several attempts to persuade the French and Dutch into purchasing the mines, Fulton sold the ideas to the English to use against the French. The French considered his devices of war immoral and indefensible.

It was after many experiments for the British that Fulton realized the notion of the floating mine. In 1810, he perfected the floating mine with a copper case and safety lever for maintenance for the American Navy. These mines, anchored to the ocean floor, could stay in place indefinitely. Robert Fulton’s attempts at preventing war did nothing but hasten the world’s need to perfect this style of warfare.

Mine warfare continued to develop throughout the Civil War. The Confederate states used mine warfare extensively to counter the Union ships which greatly outnumbered the southern vessels.

A minefield three layers deep defended Mobile, Alabama against a Union maritime assault. The Confederacy made extensive use of Davids, a semisubmersible craft that was powered by hand or steam, to match the muscle of the Union fleet.

The Era of the Automobile Torpedo Robert Whitehead [British] in 1866 designed the first “automobile” torpedo. It was self-propelled and would attack its target rather than wait for the enemy to come to it. His design was the point from which all other concept designs would begin.

The first Whitehead torpedo used a twocylinder, compressed air engine that gave it a speed of 6.5 knots for a distance of 200 yards.2 Whitehead then developed two more models and began selling these weapons to the navies of the world. The first model had a length of 11 feet, 7 inches and a diameter of 14 inches. It weighed 346 pounds and

had an explosive charge of 40 pounds of guncotton.3 The second model was 14 feet in length, 16 inches in diameter and weighed 650 pounds. This model carried a 60-pound explosive guncotton.4

WHITEHEAD TORPEDO ON DISPLAY AT NUM

The United States refused to purchase the Whitehead torpedo and made a conscious decision to attempt its own torpedo research and development program.

In 1869, the Navy established a torpedo station at Newport, Rhode Island. The station had the assignment of designing and building a torpedo using the Whitehead scheme, despite its criticized design, as a starting point. What NTS (Naval Torpedo Station) developed was a weapon similar to the Whitehead. It was 12 feet, 5 inches long, with a 14-inch diameter and weighed 450 pounds. It carried 80-90 pounds of guncotton and had a speed of 6-8 knots for a 400-yard range. The torpedo never left the test stage, because the air flask and hull did not maintain watertight integrity; the engine was also flawed. Corrections were made and plans were submitted to the Bureau of Ordnance for production. Only two test torpedoes were ever manufactured. The NTS Fish torpedo program terminated in 1874.5 The Howell torpedo, the first successful torpedo development program by the U.S. Navy, began in 1870. Lieutenant Commander John A. Howell created a torpedo driven by a 132-pound flywheel that spun to 10,000 revolutions per minute. A steam continued on next page

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turbine housed on the or glancing blow torpedo tube spun to a hull by the the flywheel before use of whiskers; launch.6 The Navy four levers which only produced 50 for actually extended tactical use.7 from the warhead.

The Howell Upon any slight jolt torpedo remained of a glancing blow, in service until 1896 the whiskers would when the United release the shear howell torpedo on display at num States decided pin and allow the to purchase the Whitehead and Bliss-Leavitt firing pin to impact the percussion cap, detonating torpedoes. The United States purchased the the warhead. These war noses remained in use Whitehead torpedo out of fear of falling behind in until 1922 when the Whitehead and Bliss-Leavitt the world. Almost all other nations owned some torpedoes were retired from service. The Navy version of the Whitehead torpedo. began utilizing the ACR feature (Anti-Circular Run) The Whitehead and Bliss-Leavitt torpedoes around 1911. The ACR, initially a segment of the made up the torpedo arsenal of the United States exploder mechanism, is currently incorporated into Navy from 1896 through 1910. The Whitehead Mk the torpedo course gyro. This feature prevented 1, 2, 3, and 5 and the Bliss-Leavitt were the primary warhead detonation by sterilizing the exploder if workhorses for the Navy. The Whitehead Mk 1 and the weapon turned 110 degrees from its original Mk 2 versions came in both 3.55 meter (11 feet, 6 course10. inches) and a 5-meter (16 foot) length. The 5-meter Torpedo development during the World War Mk 1 carried a 240- pound warhead, which at that I was minimal. An electric torpedo design was time was the biggest payload on a torpedo. The scrapped before the program ever got off the 5-meter also had a gyro for azimuth control. The ground. The Whitehead and Bliss-Leavitt Mk 6 Whitehead Mk 3 was only 3.55 meters in length but torpedoes were all removed from service in 1922. was equipped with the Obry gyro.

The remaining U.S. Navy torpedo arsenal consisted The Mk 1, 2, and 3 Whitehead torpedoes to this of only the Bliss-Leavitt torpedoes Mk 7, Mk 8, point were cold running weapons. Cold running Mk 9, and Mk 10. The Mk 7 torpedo was the first meant that the weapon operated on compressed air. steam-driven torpedo for the U.S. Navy. The Mk The invention of a “super-heater” produced the hot 7 had a range of 6000 yards and a speed upward running torpedo; this device used a combustion pot of 35 knots. It was 18 inches in diameter and could to heat the compressed air to enhance performance. be fired from both destroyers and submarines. The The Whitehead Mk 5 operated on this concept.8 The Mk 8, Mk 9, and Mk 10 had a diameter of 21 inches.

Mk 5 ran to a distance of 4000 yards at a speed of The Mk 8 was a destroyer-fired weapon. The Mk 27 knots. The speed and distance of the weapon 9 and 10 were submarine-fired weapons. In the could change by varying the amount of heat to the early 1920’s, the U.S. discontinued its contractual flask. The Bliss-Leavitt Mk 1 operated on a 2250-psi agreement with the Bliss-Leavitt Corporation citing a patent rights dispute over the Mk 9 torpedo. The (pounds per square inch) air flask with a superNavy then made the Newport R.I. weapons station heater that could produce a speed of 27 knots for a the sole point for United States development, range of 4000 yards.9 design, and research of underwater warfare.

Warhead Modifications From 1910 to 1915 there were as many as ten World War II and the Electric Torpedo The post World War I/pre World War II era modifications to the “war noses” or by today’s defined the modern torpedo. The first American definitions, detonators. The modified Whitehead airdrop torpedo test was conducted in 1920. Three exploders went from a direct impact exploder to a model that would detonate from any direction continued ON NEXT PAGE

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weapons stand out from that era. The Mk 13, the but pneumatic controls remained because of their aircraft launched torpedo, was a 13.5 feet long tested reliability. The electric torpedo had two torpedo with a range of 7000 yards and a speed of distinct advantages: the weapon was wake-less. It 30 knots.11 mk 14 on display at num did not warn of an attack or The Mk 14 torpedoes a location from which it was deployed from launched and it required less submarines. The Mk 14 manufacturing effort. The is responsible for sinking World War II electric weapons over four million tons used a lead acid battery that of Japanese shipping required maintenance often. during World War II.12 This proved to be a problem The Mk 15, the for the submarine fleet; destroyer-fired torpedo, hydrogen would expel during had an 825-pound the maintenance process or warhead and remained by self-discharge. Purging in service until the 1950’s the torpedo room on a regular when 21-inch torpedo tubes were removed from basis was required. destroyers. 13 The United States and allied forces The Homing Torpedo utilized these three weapons extensively during

An idea to develop a weapon that “attacks World War II. 14 what it hears” originated during World War II. g7e on display at num The theory is that the weapon would home in on an underwater noise such as the propeller of a destroyer. The weapon would then arm and attack the source of the noise.

This concept of a homing torpedo Around 1941, upon successful seizure of had its drawbacks. A submarine sitting on the the U-570 by the British, the United States bottom of a harbor or a ship moving slowly would began designing an electric torpedo to copy the Germans’ latest technological advancement.

The Mk 18 torpedo was available for fleet use within a year of the capture of its German predecessor. The electric torpedo had a battery compartment instead of an air flask. An electric motor replaced the engine, mk 18 on display at num

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be quiet, making it difficult for a homing weapon to find its target. The Office of Scientific Research and Development and its subsidiary the National Defense Research Committee had complete control over this project.15 They developed the Mine Mk 24. The term mine was to mislead enemy intelligence.

The Mk 24, nicknamed “Fido”, was a small, stubby torpedo with an electric motor. A conscious decision to design a weapon that was not extremely fast (10-12 knots) was made considering its prey, a submerged enemy submarine, would only travel at a speed of 3-5 knots.16 Fido was airdropped with a 10-15 minute run time on a 48-volt battery. The Mk 24 was responsible for sinking approximately 15 percent of enemy submarines sunk by air escorts from 1943 through the end of the war.

The Mk 27 torpedo, nicknamed “Cutie”, was developed late in the war. The Cutie was a modified Mk 24 that was launched from a submarine. The Mk 27 was the first torpedo to leave the tube under its own power. It swam out; other torpedoes were fired by a charge of compressed air. The Mk 27 proved useful in the Pacific by hunting down sampans that were tracking Allied submarines near the coastlines.

GE (General Electric) was in development of an active homing torpedo design. This torpedo would be released to run at a certain depth, speed, and course. The weapon itself would go active and search for its own target using echo- ranging, the sending and receiving of sound waves through the water. The enemy must then maneuver to avoid it because active homing torpedoes, unlike the passive torpedoes were not easily distracted by counter-measures or ocean noise. The Mk 32 active homing torpedo passed the test phase in 1944 but the program never saw production until brought back in 1951 as the Mk 32 Mod 2 for ASW (AntiSubmarine Warfare) development.

Anti-Submarine Warfare and the Mk 46 Torpedo By the end of World War II, the United States had seven torpedoes in active service with twentyfour in design and development. Most of the weapons in the design and development stage

fido mk24 mine on display at num

never acquired active service stature. Torpedo research turned from attacking surface vessels to focusing on anti-submarine warfare. Technological advancements in sonar systems allowed the United States to detect an enemy submarine at a greater distance than it had a weapon capable of attacking it. This led to the development of the “thrown torpedo” in the early 1950’s. It would be used in ASW to prevent enemy submarines from coming too close to ship convoys or to ports of United States naval vessels. This was the initial format from which the ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) was based. In 1956, the program to build the ASROC started. A direct descendant of the RAT (Rocket Assisted Torpedo) program of 1953, the ASROC program became operational in 1962 with a Mk 44 torpedo as the initial payload of an intermediate-range missile fired from a launcher on a destroyer. The Mk 46 torpedo replaced the Mk 44 as the payload of the ASROC during the mid 1960’s.

The MK 46 Mod 5 is the most recent U.S. Navy destroyer-launched ASW weapon capable of being fired from surface vessel torpedo tubes or from the ASROC. Designed for a rapid response, all weather delivery, the Mk 46 is 8.5 feet in length and has a search range of over 3000 yards and depths of 1500 feet. 17 The Mk 46 ASROC classifies as an continued ON NEXT PAGE

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mk 46 being launched

intermediate range ASW weapon. It is the currently employed standard NATO lightweight torpedo.18

The Submarine Launched Mk 48 Torpedo The Navy experimented in the 1950’s and early 1960’s with a wire guided torpedo as well as a torpedo that would run a set pattern or would zigzag to its potential target. Both concepts became obsolete with the development of the Mk 37, the first successful U.S. wire-guided, active homing ASW weapon. The Mk 37 had an acquisition range of 1000 yards and a maximum speed of 24 knots. It could find and attack a submarine down to 1000 feet. 19 In the 1950’s, submarines acquired nuclear propulsion and became capable of speeds of well over 20 knots submerged. The Navy needed a faster torpedo to hunt down faster submarines. The Research Torpedo Re-Configuration (RETORC) program began in 1956 to develop faster and more accurate torpedoes than the Mk 37. The Mk 45 was delivered to the fleet in 1963. It had a speed of 40 knots and a range of 11,000 to 15,000 yards. The payload of the Mk 45 was a nuclear warhead. The Mk 45 had a seawater-activated battery with no homing capability. The detonation command via wire guidance satisfied the requirement of positive control.20 The Mk 45 tenure ended in 1976 with the non-nuclear Mk 48 replacement.

The Mk 48 torpedo is wire-guided, acoustic homing weapon built to cover a long distance at high speed. Development began in 1963 as part of RETORC II and the Mk 48 was released to the fleet in 1971. Today the Mk 48 is the primary active service torpedo in the United States submarine

arsenal. The Mk 48 has seen several modifications since 1971. The latest generation is the Mk 48 ADCAP (Advanced Capabilities), which has been in production since 1989. The Mk 48 ADCAP is carried onboard all U.S. submarines and can be operated with or without wire guidance. It has a length of 19 feet, weighs approximately 3500 pounds, and carries 650 pounds of high explosive.21 It can be active or passive homing with a range greater than 5 miles. It can hunt down deep submerged contacts in excess of 1200 feet. Using a target search, acquisition, and attack procedure the Mk 48 can also re-attack its target if it misses.

The Mk 50 The Navy began development of the Mk 50 torpedo, nicknamed Barracuda, in 1972 when the Soviets introduced the Alpha submarine, a highspeed deep diving threat. The Mk 50 is steamdriven using an exothermic chemical release to produce steam. Its SCEPS (Stored Chemical Energy Power System) idea is not new. The Navy experimented in the 1920’s with chemical energy but terminated the program. The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University revitalized the research.22 It is part of the Navy’s Advanced Lightweight Torpedo program. The Mk 50 is dropped from an ASW plane, helicopter, or launched from a surface combatant. The Mk 50 is only 9 feet long and weighs 750 pounds. It has a speed in excess of 40 knots and a range of 20,000 yards. The Mk 50 warhead is a shaped charge that weighs approximately 100 pounds.23 mk 50 being deployed

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FOOTNOTES 1 Mines Minelayers, and Mine laying by CAPT J.S. Cowie, R.N. 2-4 A Brief History of U S Navy Torpedo Development by E.W. Jolie, Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport Laboratory 5 Submarine Review April l996-Torpedoes through the Thirties by Frederick J. Milford 6 Brief History of U S Navy Torpedo Development by E.W. Jolie, Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport Laboratory 7 Submarine Review April l996-Torpedoes through the Thirties by Frederick J. Milford 8 The Devil’s Device- Robert Whitehead and the History of the Torpedo by Edwyn Gray 9 A Brief History of U S Navy Torpedo Development by E.W. Jolie, Naval Underwater Systems 10 A Brief History of U S Navy Torpedo Development by E.W. Jolie, Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport Laboratory 11 A Brief History of U S Navy Torpedo Development by E.W. Jolie, Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport 12 A Brief History of U S Navy Torpedo Development by E.W. Jolie, Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport Laboratory 13, 14 Submarine Review April l996-Torpedoes through the Thirties by Frederick J. Milford 15 Submarine Review April l997- WWII Development of Home Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford 16 Hellions of the Deep- The Development of American Torpedoes in WWII by Robert Gannon 17 www chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/weapons/wep-torp.html General Characteristics of the Mk46, Mk48, Mk-50 torpedoes and the ASROC Mk 46 Mod 5 18 Submarine Review October l997- Post WWII Launched/ Lightweight Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford 19 Submarine Review July l997- Post WWII Submarine Launched/Heavy weight Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford 20 Submarine Review July l997- Post WWII Submarine Launched/Heavy weight Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford 21 www chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/weapons/wep-torp.html General Characteristics of the Mk46, Mk48, Mk-50 torpedoes and the ASROC Mk 46 Mod 5 22 Submarine Review October l997- Post WWII Launched/ Lightweight Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford References: • Mines Minelayers, and Mine laying by CAPT J.S. Cowie, R.N. • Submarine Review April l996-Torpedoes through the Thirties by Frederick J. Milford • Submarine Review January l997-WWII Development of Conventional Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford • Submarine Review April l997- WWII Development of Home Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford • Submarine Review July l997- Post WWII Submarine Launched/Heavy weight Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford • Submarine Review October l997- Post WWII Launched/ Lightweight Torpedoes by Frederick J. Milford • Submarine Review January l998- Torpedoes Fired in Anger by Frederick J. Milford • Hellions of the Deep- The Development of American Torpedoes in WWII by Robert Gannon • The Devil’s Device- Robert Whitehead and the History of the Torpedo by Edwyn Gray • A Brief History of U S Navy Torpedo Development by E.W. Jolie, Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport Laboratory • Evolution of the Torpedo Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island, 1946 • www.janes.com The official website of Jane’s military information • www.comomag.navy.mil/family_history.htm David Bushnell and Robert Fulton’s contributions to Mines • www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/weapons/wep-torp.html General Characteristics of the • Mk46, Mk-48, Mk-50 torpedoes and the ASROC Mk 46 Mod 5

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From the Museum Store...

ARE YOU READY FOR SUMMER? Here we are at the Naval Undersea Museum Store – and we’re waiting for you! Our wonderful volunteers and staff have stocked the shelves with fabulous finds just waiting to be discovered. Whether it’s a Father’s Day, Graduation, Change of Command or Retirement, we’ve got you covered stop in and see what’s new!

Need some summer reading for yourself or a child? Our bookshelves are overflowing! Keep summer “mush brain” at bay with Step Into Reading books, chapter books, Mad Libs and activity and coloring books. We have several new editions of classic Dr. Seuss – “Hark, A Shark” anyone? For the even younger set, we have beautifully illustrated picture and alphabet books.

We haven’t forgotten the adults either – we’ve opened several new publishing accounts to bring you an even better selection of undersea and military titles.

We recently received a shipment of diving helmet replicas, clocks and banks as well as brass nautical items perfect for gift giving.

Going to the beach? We have the most adorable children’s beach sets by respected toymaker Melissa and Doug. Come in and catch the wave!

DAINA BIRNBAUMS

Doing some grilling?

We carry a great line of Navy hot sauce in several flavors – pick your favorite local submarine logo on the bottle.

Need something to complete that summer outfit? We have a wide selection of jewelry at prices that can’t be beat!

Starfish are currently trendy, yet they never go out of style.

11 SUMMER QUARTER 2013 Book Review by Larry Tucker....

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Torpedo Junction. by Homer

H. Hickam, Jr. (May 1996) Naval Institute Press.

Bluejacket Books. 392 Pgs. Photos. Charts. Appendix. Softcover. ISBN/ SKU: 9781557503626. $19.95 – in our museum gift shop Torpedo Junction by Homer H. Hickam Jr. chronicles a little-known saga of courage, ingenuity, and triumph in these early years of World War II. Hickam captures nerve-racking combat between submariners, sailors, and victims on both sides of the battle. I totally agree with the following excerpt from the book: “This thoroughly documented and detailed account of the 1942 slaughter of ships by U-boats off the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States is by far the best that I have read covering that black episode in our naval history.” This book is unique because the author describes in tremendous detail the history of Germany’s Operation Drum Roll (Paukenschlag) off the American East coast from January to August 1942. The area was so dangerous and deadly that sailors dubbed it “Torpedo Junction,” a play on the popular 1939 song, “Tuxedo Junction.”

My father tells stories about his personal “Battle of the North Atlantic” when he and other soldiers on the SS Marine Raven contended with unimaginable winter storms. Fourteen frightful nights listening to the strange and unnerving ship noises; that “Battle” was joined by reverberations from exploding depth-charges – praying that escort vessels were successful in warding off German submarines. Those 14 days at sea thankfully resulted in their safe arrival in Le Havre, France— only to face the entire German army on the battlefields of Europe.

The Battle of the Atlantic was not just fought in the North Atlantic, where convoys similar to those in which my father traveled carried supplies and troops to Britain. In the days immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the armed forces of the United States had to face a threat with similar devastation on our Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

The Germans fully understood the advantages of swift offensive action in the Atlantic, knowing that American participation in the war would depend on the free and rapid movement of supplies. Therefore,

with the entry of the United States into active warfare, the Battle of the Atlantic became a key point in the naval strategy of Admiral Karl Doenitz, commander of the German U-boat fleet. Admiral Doenitz was a gifted officer with a long and genuinely interesting career spanning WW I and II. In 1937, Doenitz began lobbying senior Navy officers and Hitler to convert the entire German fleet to submarines. He believed that a naval campaign dedicated to commerce raiding and avoiding sea battles with the large and powerful British Navy could quickly knock Britain out of any future wars. Later, due to Doenitz’s persistence, Germany possessed the means of prosecuting a “trade war” to the extreme with their extensive and modernized submarine fleet, already used with a devastating effect in the eastern Atlantic. At first, just five U-boats were dedicated to Doenitz’s devastating blow on commercial shipping along America’s eastern seaboard. That plan was called “Paukenschlag” or the English translation “Operation Drumbeat”. The German fleet was highly successful at sinking cargo ships that sailed to and from the U.S.; and those first U-boats had little trouble in sinking thousands of tons of cargo and passenger ships. German sailors referred to this as “Happy Times”. During the first 6 months of the German U-boat offensive off the US East Coast, some 397 ships totaling over 2 million tons were sunk, costing roughly 5000 lives. In the process, continued ON NEXT PAGE

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Book Review by Larry Tucker....

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Torpedo Junction

only 7 U-boats were lost with 302 hands.

The American Admiral responsible for defending our eastern and southern coasts from the German submarine threat was 62-year-old Rear Admiral Adolphus Andrews. In early 1941, U.S. Coast Guard efforts had come under the Department of the Navy’s command. When this huge undertaking was given him, Admiral Andrews had already been on the active list for forty-one years, with a varied and successful career that made him one of the best-known flag officers in the Navy. Unfortunately Admiral Andrews’ early efforts to protect the commercial fleet were hindered by heavy demands and a small supply of men and equipment. Those resources provided were generally outdated WW I destroyers or small (former) Coast Guard vessels with green crews and limited weapon and acoustic/radar capabilities.

Navy effectiveness was also hampered by stubborn and careless ship-masters’ unwillingness to adopt a convoy system and an unwillingness to divert needed resources to fix the problem. U-boats effectively hunted at night, silhouetting and targeting ships against the backdrop of city lights.

Crews rested on the bottom during daylight hours, making air surveillance ineffective, although aircrews made a creditable effort. From the summer of 1942 until the end of 1943, civilian volunteers spent many hours patrolling the shorelines – either by air or by water. Many private pilots flew their own aircraft in areas where submarine contact was expected. In addition, the “Hooligan Navy” was established with private motor or sailing yachts, also patrolling within a few miles from shore. Air and sea patrols were supervised by the U.S. Navy

and served as a part of antisubmarine warfare at a time when U-boat attacks were decimating Allied merchant shipping in the region. Probably one of the more famous “Hooligans” patrolling the Gulf on his sailing yacht El Pilar was Ernest Hemingway.

I believe readers will find one encounter thoughtprovoking and humorous. Cabin cruiser JayTee’s owner Williard Lewis and his companion “Uncle Bill” – members of “Hooligans Navy” had an unforgettable experience with U-333.

Their experience represents the state of mind of “Hooligan” volunteers – commitment moderated by concern for personal safety.

In mid-1942, with additional participation by the U.S. Navy and Army Air Corps, the German advantage quickly diminished. The U.S. Navy deployed additional ships with improved underwater sensors which quickly turned the tide.

Hickam has been a writer since 1969 after his return from Vietnam. At first, he mostly wrote about his scuba diving adventures for a variety of different magazines. Then, after diving on many of the wrecks involved, he branched off into writing about the battle against the U-boats along the American east coast during World War II. This resulted in this best-seller published in 1989 by the Naval Institute Press. I first became aware of Hickam’s writing style through his second book, Rocket Boys which is a memoir of his life in the little town of Coalwood, West Virginia. Homer H. Hickam Jr. retired from NASA in 1998 where he was a payload training manager for the International Space Program.

LARRY TUCKER

BE a Museum Volunteer!!

The Museum and the Museum Foundation offer many opportunities to volunteer your time, your talents, your knowledge. Are you a people person? Become a Docent or work in the Museum Store! Do you love organizing? The Library could use your enthusiasm! Are children your specialty? Family Science Saturday and Discover “E” Day are just the ticket!

For more information, contact Daina Birnbaums MuseumStore@wavecable.com, 360/697-1129, or Olivia Wilson, olivia.wilson@navy.mil, 360/396-5548. continued ON NEXT PAGE

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A Bit of Undersea History – NUMF Newsletter, November 1984 - by Ralph L. Enos

Robert Whitehead

We have all heard of the Whitehead Torpedo.

This is the term given to the standard, anti-surfaceship, steam torpedo used by most of the worlds’ navies in both World Wars. In the U.S. Navy, the standard torpedoes Mks 10, 13, 14, 15, and 23 were all Whitehead torpedoes. But who was Whitehead, and what did he really invent, and when?

Robert Whitehead was a British engineer and inventor who spent most of his life working abroad, bringing the technical know-how of the British industrial revolution to other European countries.

He was born in 1823 in Lancashire, the son of the owner of a cotton-bleaching business. At the age of fourteen, he became an engineer apprentice in Manchester. In 1844 he joined his uncle in a firm at Marseilles and, with the exception of annual vacations and eventual retirement, he spent the rest of his working life abroad. He died in 1905 and is buried in Worth, in Sussex, England.

In 1856, Whitehead joined the engineering staff of Stabilimento Tecnico Fiumano, in Fiume near Trieste, Italy, which was then part of the AustroHungarian Empire. Stabilimento Tecnico designed and built warships and other weapons for the Austrian navy. In 1864, Whitehead worked on a design for a self-propelled boat that would carry an explosive charge and be guided remotely by attached lines. He rejected the idea as impractical, and instead, with his son John, in 1855 designed and built a submersible, cigar-shaped, automatic weapon, propelled by a two piston pneumatic engine. This weapon could run at any chosen depth and be independent of the firing craft at the moment of launch. It was called a “submarine locomotive torpedo” and, with only few changes, was the basic design used in torpedoes for the next century.

The 1866 prototype Whitehead torpedo was 14 inches in diameter, 11 feet long, weighed 300 pounds, and carried an 18 pound charge of dynamite at 6 knots to a range of 700 yards. Its motive power was a charge of compressed air at 370 psi, valved into two cylinders set at right angles to each other, with a device regulating the air valve to keep speed constant. The Austrian government bought the instrument in 1868, the British navy in 1871, the French in 1872, and the Germans in 1873. The contract for each purchase stipulated

improvements in performance and usually included incountry manufacturing rights. Some of the improvements were designed by Whitehead, others by the nations doing the manufacturing. By 1875, Whitehead had a design capable of 18 knots at a range of 600 yards. By 1880, most of the world’s naval powers (with the notable exception of the United States) were equipped with Whiteheaddesign torpedoes. It was an extraordinary, almost whirlwind-like proliferation of a new weapon type, considering that it had never been tested in battle.

Whitehead torpedoes were fired in a skirmish in South America in 1877 and in the Russo-Turkish war in 1878, without verified success. The first known torpedo sinking involved the armored cruiser Blanco Encalada at Caldera Bay during the Chilean Revolutionary War in 1891. This sinking was done by a Fiume-built fourteen-incher with a 50 pound charge of gun-cotton, capable of 23 knots at 600 yards, fired at 100 yards from the British-built torpedo gunboat Almirante Lynch. Other successes followed in the 1893 Brazilian Revolution and the Sino-Japanese war of 1895.

Whitehead purchased Stabilimento Tecnico in 1872 and turned it into a private company, Silurificio Whitehead, for the manufacturing of torpedoes and their ancillaries exclusively.

Silurificio Whitehead later opened plants at St. Tropez, France and Weymouth, England that produced torpedoes for those countries and sale abroad.

The original Whitehead torpedo was very limited in speed and range and had poor depth control. Robert Whitehead tinkered with, and eventually greatly improved the depth control and obtained increased speed by going to higher air charge pressures. The weapon really broke free from its fetters and assumed performance approximating its modern form with the introduction of the Obry gyroscope in 1895, and continued ON NEXT PAGE

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Robert Whitehead

heat engine propulsion in 1909.

In each of these developments, Whitehead and his company played a major role.

Robert Whitehead received little honor in his own lifetime. Although widely known for his weapon and respected in international naval circles, he was virtually ignored by the British government, presumably because most of his work was done abroad. But of his achievements, one cannot say enough. He invented a whole new kind of weapon, he built it, he perfected it, and he sold it to every naval power on earth (the United States finally bought Whitehead torpedoes in 1895). And his weapon is still around; the British Mk 8 which sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano in 1982 was, essentially, a Whitehead torpedo.

RALPH L. ENOS

Did you know……

Curator Mary Ryan identified a torpedo in the Naval Undersea Museum’s collection as the U.S. Navy’s first Whitehead torpedo. As the world’s first self-propelled torpedo, Robert Whitehead’s invention holds a highly significant place in the history of torpedo development.

This torpedo was one of two manufactured for the U.S. at Whitehead’s Austrian Fiume factory following the U.S. Navy’s decision in 1890 to license the manufacturing rights. The New York-based E.W. Bliss Company took delivery of the torpedo, stamped “US / 1” and serial number 4243, on 13 May 1891, seven months before the first Howell torpedoes joined the fleet. Standardized, American-built Whiteheads entered service in 1895 and were used by U.S. surface ships through 1922.

Schedule of Events Navy Band Northwest SUMMER OUTDOOR CONCERTS at the Naval Undersea Museum Concerts will be held in front of the museum (weather permitting). Bring your own comfortable chairs and drinks (non-alcoholic). Seating area is first come, first served. Come and celebrate summer!

JULY 2, 2013 - 7:00 pm - POPULAR MUSIC GROUP “PASSAGE” AUGUST 28, 2013 - 7:00 pm - CEREMONIAL BAND AND BRASS BAND

Personnel Directory

Websites Naval Undersea Museum.......................... navalunderseamuseum.org Naval Undersea Museum Store....... store.navalunderseamuseum.org Navy Band Northwest............ https://www.navybandnw.cnrnw.navy.mil Foundation Personnel email addresses Undersea Quarterly Editor, Foundation...... ShifrinBJ@wavecable.com Daina Birnbaums, Museum Store....... MuseumStore@wavecable.com

NUM Personnel email addresses Lindy Dosher, Museum Director.......................Lindy.Dosher@navy.mil Jennifer Heinzelman, Collections Mgt..Jennifer.Heinzelman@navy.mil Mary Ryan, Curator..........................................Mary.C.Ryan@navy.mil Lorraine Scott, Collections Management........ Lorraine.Scott@navy.mil Olivia Wilson, Facilities....................................Olivia.Wilson@navy.mil

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MAKING THE DREAM COME TRUE

I believe in the Naval Undersea Museum’s vision of the future and I want to help make it come true!

I want to see the Museum complete with state-of-the-art exhibits, quality supporting facilities,and exciting educational programs.

Please sign me up for the following:

___ Seat(s) in the Future $500 each

Dedicated to_____________________________

Sustaining membership

___ Foundation Associate *$1000+

___ Patron *$500-$999

___ Benefactor $250-$499

___ Builder $100-$249

___ Provider $25-$99

Make checks payable to the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation (NUMF) VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover accepted.

Card #___________________________ Exp ________ Signature_____________________________________ Send to: Naval Undersea Museum Foundation P.O. Box 408 Keyport, Washington 98345

*Donors of $500 or more may participate in the Seat-inthe-Future program by dedicating a seat in the Jack Murdock Auditorium for each $500 given.

Other

___ As a one-time gift

Sustaining members receive regular quarterly newsletters, invitations to special events. The NUMF is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Gifts and memberships are tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Name(s)_____________________________________________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________________________ State___________________Zip_____________ Email______________________________________________ Phone________________________________



SUPPORT YOUR FOUNDATION, YOUR MUSEUM

Many of you, our foundation members, choose to support the museum because your careers were spent in our military and in defense contracting. Our volunteer staff comes to us as retirees from Keyport, as military spouses, as service retirees. Your life experiences while in the service are unique to each of you; your children and grandchildren may not know anything about what obstacles you encountered, what goals you achieved, where you were sent, even what you did on a daily basis before you became their parent or grandparent. These stories should not be lost.

You are currently enjoying the contributions and suggestions from our volunteers and members. We would welcome the opportunity to publish articles, memoirs, photos—items that would be of interest to the naval history community. While we cannot promise to publish everything that is submitted, we would be pleased to hear from you at any time. The email address for the editor is shifrinbj@wavecable.com and the mailing address is Naval Undersea Museum Foundation, PO Box 408, Keyport WA 98345.

Think about where you’ve been. Think about the people you’ve met. Remember your comrades and the camaraderie you experienced. Then, write it down and send it to us.

Have you ever wondered what to give your parents, your grandparents, your grandchildren, your friends for their birthday, for the holidays, to acknowledge their retirement, to celebrate their anniversary? A membership in the Foundation is an excellent gift in so many ways. The articles and information in the newsletter alone are well worth the membership cost.

A Seat-In-The-Future is another wonderful way to memorialize loved ones, fallen comrades, friends and significant figures in undersea history. A one-time gift of $500 entitles the donor to dedicate a plaque on the arm of a seat in the Jack Murdock Auditorium to someone of their choice.

Naval Undersea Museum Fdtn P.O. Box 408 Keyport, WA 98345

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UNDERSEA Q

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R T E R L Y

NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #2 KEYPORT, WA 98345

P.O. BOX 408 KEYPORT, WASHINGTON 98345

TOLLING THE BOATS In conjunction with Submarine Group Nine at Bangor, the Naval Undersea Museum held its annual Tolling the Boats ceremony in the auditorium on 23 May. Commander Jeffrey Smith, Commanding Officer, USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) was the keynote speaker. Naval Undersea Museum volunteer MMCM (SS) Harry R. Gilger, USN (Ret) read the names of the lost boats and volunteer ETC (SS) Robert Paul, USN (Ret) tolled the bell.

LOST HARBOR

There is a port of no return, where ships May ride at anchor for a little space And then, some starless night, the cable slips, Leaving an eddy at the mooring place . . .

Gulls, veer no longer. Sailor, rest your oar.

No tangled wreckage will be washed ashore.

by Leslie Nelson Jennings