MK 14 Torpedo - Operational Issues

[@mpullen99]

One thing you didn't mention concerning the magnetic exploder. When the complaint went to the weapons research station in Newport, RI, the station found the torpedoes were working as designed. unfortunately, the magnetic exploder was designed around the Earth magnetic field in Rhode Island. When used in the Pacific, with vastly different magnetic fields, the exploder went off-track. Retired on Nautilus in 1989. Piped over the side. Mike Pullen EMCS (SS)

[@jimmymac63]

I am a retired Marine in search of Crayon recipes when I happened upon this site...Not sure how I got here, but in true Marine Corps fashion...I have established a beach head and shall not leave!

[@dennis4774]

Rah Rah!!

[@v.mwilliams1101]

Thank you Commander. Great explanation, even a non-sailor/military as I can follow and understand.

[@MM0IMC]

I loved the irony of using a Japanese alloy against Japanese ships!

[@kenjackson5685]

Fantastic...lovely and precise. A real unnecessary saga Thankyou for sharing

[@SamGlasser]

The depth control sensor being placed on the cone (near the propeller) would cause Bernoulli effect to alter the sensed pressure, the faster you go the lower the perceived pressure, same principle that makes a carburetor to work. This is common knowledge among engineers, which causes me to wonder regarding the training of the designers. Plus the churning of the prop, would cause additional alterations in the perceived pressure because of its effect on the water flow in the immediate area. This error cannot be detected without the torpedo moving. Which means you won't know it isn't working without test firing.

[@gdrriley420]

Everything is fine. Clearly the not tested design is prefect

[@madkoala2130]

Until admiral King starts twisting their arm

[@FS2K4Pilot]

@@madkoala2130 Has someone been watching Drachinifel?

[@Idahoguy10157]

The BIG problem with the mk14 refusing to admit it was untested and defective. Then refusing to fix the problems in any timely manner

[@Naramsit]

This channel is woefully under viewed despite being short yet straight to the point. Keep it up guys more viewers will watch and sub to this channel eventually!

[@submarineforcemuseum1739]

We're glad you enjoy the content - Thank You!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video...👍

[@edwardpate6128]

The problems with this torpedo caused huge issues during the first 18 to 24 months of the war. Heads should have rolled on this one but it took the guys out the fleet to identify and fix it.

[@FS2K4Pilot]

If I’m not mistaken Admiral King also had to step in and kick some butts.

[@Chris_In_Texas]

Has to be a horrible feeling when you realize that your own shot is headed back after you.

[@richardcline1337]

The USS Tang found this out the hard way. The very last torpedo they fired at end of a very successful patrol did a circular run and sank the sub.

[@gunnargundersen3787]

I'm here following the excellent video by Drachinifel - Failure is like Onions. This was an interesting video too. Would love to see a comparison between US, British, Italian, German and Japanese torpedoes in WW2. Oh - and have you guys got a Hedgehog?

[@mikegracie3212]

Bureau of Ordinance was almost criminally negligent in this. It is a problem with a peace time force transitioning to a war time force.

[@madkoala2130]

Everything is fine until admiral King starts twisting their arm.

[@Gordon519]

drachinefel fan?

[@Gordon519]

@@madkoala2130 drachinefel fan?

[@mark351]

Someone should have been court martialed for the lack of proper action.

[@madkoala2130]

@@mark351 they did. But court was not congress, it was something even worst.

[@rokguitarstar]

awesome Video

[@JustPeasant]

With all the trouble of maneuvering their boat into position, made calculations, assessing the targets bearing, values are imputed TDC, patient wait for the exact time of launch, spread angle if salvo is used. Only for the subs CO to realize that a three or four eel all missed their target, ran too deep or were dud(s). I could imagine that CO would pop the gasket! Still, it could be worse. It could be a circle-runner! D-':

[@killman369547]

Aah yes the mk-14 torpedo, or: "Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be a ship shattering kaboom!"

[@SanBrunoBeacon]

Great work Commander!

[@jovs6737]

Nice torpido 😄😁

[@paulpeterson5214]

----- How many good enlisted people and subs died because some bureau of ordinance admiral would't admit that he created a lousy torpedo. This was senior officer/admiral CYA all the way. And by mid war they had created electric torpedoes that didn't leave a wake and skippers preferred to use it instead of the mk 14.

[@joelmccoy9969]

The technical reasons for these obsolete weapons has been covered ad-nauseum. The more interesting historical story is: What was the Bureau of Ordnance's tactics to avoid troubleshooting and re-engineering these torpedoes? What were the Admiralty command failures that contributed to this continuing for two years in wartime? Who punted his responsibility? Admiral Wright covered his failures at Tassafaranga point by exaggerating his kills, thus masking the failure of any of his 24 torpedoes to explode. They all beached harmlessly on Guadalcanal. 30 PT boat torpedoes failed at Blackett Strait, none worked. 78 torpedoes fired by PT boats at Surigao Strait in 1944 failed to explode, all of them. There is no happy narrative, no explanation, just impunity. Each torpedo cost as much as a four-bedroom house on a property in California. Adm. Wright later commanded 'Port Chicago Naval Weapons Station' when it blew up. Check out Wikipedia.

[@tsuaririndoku]

Imagine you just deflect Torpedoes as a Cargo ship.

[@valkry007]

What they did giving these untried untested knowingly defective weapons to American submariners was nothing short of CRIMINAL.

[@s.porter8646]

So the drink called pink lady is courtesy of Torpedmen

[@mikehurricane5767]

Ya know , that's bureaucratic stupidity . Said the same thing about the M-16 . It's perfect , just operator error . How many men had to die first ? Will we ever know ? Thanks,, great presentation .

[@MegaWetwilly]

Makes one wonder how many good submarine commanders were relieved of command because of the torpedo problems.

[@mikehurricane5767]

@@MegaWetwilly Exactly , but , I bet and kinda know it still happens today .

[@_multiverse_]

Anyone here because of Crash Dive?

[@gustavderkits8433]

Not an impressive presentation. Officials in Bureau of Ordnance actually lied on test results.

[@oliverwtell]

Hello, just by chance I was watching this video. It is quite interessting that the germans had nearly the same issues with their torpedos at the beginning of World War II. The reasons and solutions were different, but very few testing was an issue on both sides, Allies and Axis, at that time. Unfortunately, I only have a Wikipedia entry in german language about it : de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedokrise Kind Regards, Oliver