| Author |
Topic: Loading Torrpedos in Tubs. |
|
David Waples
TOP BOSS
|
  
Posted on: Apr 26, 2013 - 9:44pm
|
Frank sent me this photo of some poor sailor in his tube greasing outfit greasing the inside of the tubes. I wonder how that works? Start at the front and work your way back?
Anyway, Frank believes that in my previously posted photo that we're looking at a warhead. I tend to agree based on the round circle under the retaining plate. But there is a doubt in my mind because attached to this tube is a tube cover. What is clear though is that you couldn't just flop the cover down and fire. It would clearly be in the way. I wonder if one of our vets remembers how this was done.
Dave
David Waples |
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined:
Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm | IP
Logged
|
|
Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 27, 2013 - 2:49pm
|
Point taken about the ring on the nose of the submarine's warhead in that photo, Bob.
Submarine torpedoes had to be guided into and through deck hatches and onto their below-decks roller racks in the torpedo rooms, so I would think the nose rings would have facilitated that.
I also thought that the early-war U.S. submarines carried Mark VIIIs, the same as the PTs, and had the same amount of difficulty with them.
I would also think the triangular plate & wire "bras" would have easily and quickly been removed as the PTs were heading out on patrol.
Since Bridge Carney has access to the 157's torpedoman, Welford West, how about Mr. West weighing in on these issues?
|
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined:
Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am | IP
Logged
|
|
Frank Andruss
TOP BOSS
|
 Posted on: Apr 27, 2013 - 3:33pm
|
Notice the right of the poor sailor in the tube, is the tube cover on the deck, held in place with that looks like rope and the thumb screw.
|
Total Posts: 3964 | Joined:
Feb 9, 2007 - 11:41am | IP
Logged
|
|
Bob Butler
MASTER
|
Posted on: Apr 27, 2013 - 4:18pm
|
Drew, you read my mind. Bridge please, you can settle this for us. Frank you got a keen eye. Thanks...
|
Total Posts: 192 | Joined:
Mar 23, 2013 - 11:58am | IP
Logged
|
|
David Waples
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 27, 2013 - 4:58pm
|
I just watched a bunch of video on PT Boats. If you guys don't have the DVD "Devil Boat: The Saga of PT 658" you should get it. Beyond the story of restoration is a great narrative and video of PT Boats in WWII. Not just Higgins but Elco. I watched a lot of shots of torpedo's being shot out of those tubes and what became obvious to me was that the torpedo sat farther back in the tube. That and the photo above that Frank provided which clearly shows the cover and the same cabling device used to hold the cover in place.
Some of the boats also opted for canvas covers for their tubes and if you look at them closely you can tell the torpedo sits back further into the tube.
So my vote now is for cover and not warhead.
Dave
David Waples |
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined:
Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm | IP
Logged
|
|
David Buck
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 28, 2013 - 2:48pm
|
Hi All just looking at the construction of the tube in the photo with the salior in the tube, it appears that a ring in with an L shape has been stich welded onto the tube thus forming a U section at the end of the tube.
This U section has been formed to locate the cap on the end of the tube while the various wires or bolts retain the cap in place.
In the photo that Jeff D posted with the small plate and the three wires attached to it the U section at the end of the tube can be clearly seen,It would seem then that we are looking at the warhead behind the small metal plate I guess!
D.buck |
Total Posts: 332 | Joined:
May 4, 2008 - 2:59am | IP
Logged
|
|
David Waples
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 28, 2013 - 5:52pm
|
Man, I keep flip flopping on wether we're looking at a warhead or a tube cover. I've go to give this some thought. In the mean time if somebody has anything more concrete please let us know. Fortunately I'm in no hurry to button down the business end of the torpedo tube for a while yet.
Dave
David Waples |
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined:
Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm | IP
Logged
|
|
David Buck
TOP BOSS
|
Posted on: Apr 29, 2013 - 4:38am
|
OK David lets try this,
You can see in the photo with the sailor in the tube under his hand wich is hanging out of the tube that the tube comes to a nice square edge, now if there was a cap fitted to the end of the tube you would not see that square edge but rather a concave curve formed by the metal of the cap.
In other words the concave section of the cap would hide the square edge from view.
As well as the inner edge being hidden the outer edge would be visable as a small step at the edge of the cap as the cap locates into the slot between the tube and the welded on angle.
Therefore as we can see the square edge of the tube there is no cap covering it therefore that only leaves us with one conclusion and that is that we are looking at what lies behind the cap in this case it appears to be a Torpedo warhead!
Anyway thats my two cents worth, I did bounce the photos up and down to various zoom settings and it becomes easer to see as you do that
I also understand your timeing issue and am wondering if there maybe a cutaway drawing that may show the end of the tube, and if someone on the board might have one, that would show this area in detail.
D.buck |
Total Posts: 332 | Joined:
May 4, 2008 - 2:59am | IP
Logged
|
|
Jeff D
Moderator
|
Posted on: Apr 29, 2013 - 10:00am
|
The practice heads look like they were properly called exercise heads. From torpedoman Jack Duncan's class excercise:
Jack says that the torch case "housed a smoke flare to guide the torpedo retriever to recover the fish after it had finished its test run".
|
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined:
Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am | IP
Logged
|
|
Bob Butler
MASTER
|
Posted on: Apr 29, 2013 - 10:01am
|
In PT Boats in action on page 15 there are two photos, one with a torpedo tube with a cap and the other a torpedo tube with a live warhead ( with a ring). These photos were taken on a 77' Elcol . The photo David posted showed some poor sole prepping a tube with a cap hanging from a cable. I'm convinced the Italeri Kit has two different style caps and no live warheads. And rings were common on some Mk VIII's.
|
Total Posts: 192 | Joined:
Mar 23, 2013 - 11:58am | IP
Logged
|
|
