Wam cmd «Wayfag
203
the torpedo may seem a little out of date in a
but one
should not be misled by the unchanged Outward appearance and
name of these weapons because they are very dilferentfrom those of
twenty years or so ago. The modern torpedo is as complex as any
surface—to-surface or surface—to-air missile. Take as an exaniplethe
Royal Navy’s Mark 24 torpedo, brought into service in» 1968;
Although little more than 20 feet long and 21 inches in diameter, the
torpedo has an electric motor with the power ofa modern sports car.
It has a wide—angle sonar built into the nose and, on detecting the
target, the torpedo can home automatically, or the submarineÏcan
control it via a thin connecting wire which relays information about
the target and the torpedo’s position and speed. Controlled from the
submarine, the torpedo can hang threateningly in the water or its
mission can be aborted if the danger passes. Should an attack be
pressed, the torpedo’s own re—control system can take over while
the submarine retreats.
.
,
The rst torpedoes tostrike against enemy shipping reVolùtionized
naval warfare. On September 22,1914, the? German submarine
U—lg sank three British armoured cruisers off ‘ the Belgiahcoast in
little over half an hour.
submarine of 450 tons with a crew of 26
had demolishedsome' 36,000 tons of the British war machine and
more than 1,200 men were lost. Counter—measures againSt - the
had been neglected because until the Germans
proved otherwise thesubmarine had been reserved for coastal and
harbour defence. In fact, in 1915 the German submarine command
likened their ocean—going submarines to -pike let loose
_
stocked Carp pond. And when the Sec‘0nd
’
Atlantic became once again a “carp pond’ with]U+boats,_sinkin‘g
merchant ship'pingfa—ster than it could be'replaced', This carnagewas
cut short in 1942 when aircr—aftùuntingthem
The development of the ‘snmkelhelped
r'edre'ss
…
required the uSe of atomic, power” to put
On top:
the modern nuclear sûbmarine holds the key to any future con‘iCt.
Anti—submarinewarw »;
,
»
j
;
:
:
i“ [
t
>
A Polaris submarine, armed with the 9'A—‘3
…—8,242,500
square miles : of ocean to hide in if
_
covering» fa: target 1,000 miles
inland; The
has a range of :‘more than 100,000
miles Without refùelling: and
cruise atr speed3* in …excess_
of
25 knots, deep under the surface for m0nths
son—end. In addition
(
203
the torpedo may seem a little out of date in a
but one
should not be misled by the unchanged Outward appearance and
name of these weapons because they are very dilferentfrom those of
twenty years or so ago. The modern torpedo is as complex as any
surface—to-surface or surface—to-air missile. Take as an exaniplethe
Royal Navy’s Mark 24 torpedo, brought into service in» 1968;
Although little more than 20 feet long and 21 inches in diameter, the
torpedo has an electric motor with the power ofa modern sports car.
It has a wide—angle sonar built into the nose and, on detecting the
target, the torpedo can home automatically, or the submarineÏcan
control it via a thin connecting wire which relays information about
the target and the torpedo’s position and speed. Controlled from the
submarine, the torpedo can hang threateningly in the water or its
mission can be aborted if the danger passes. Should an attack be
pressed, the torpedo’s own re—control system can take over while
the submarine retreats.
.
,
The rst torpedoes tostrike against enemy shipping reVolùtionized
naval warfare. On September 22,1914, the? German submarine
U—lg sank three British armoured cruisers off ‘ the Belgiahcoast in
little over half an hour.
submarine of 450 tons with a crew of 26
had demolishedsome' 36,000 tons of the British war machine and
more than 1,200 men were lost. Counter—measures againSt - the
had been neglected because until the Germans
proved otherwise thesubmarine had been reserved for coastal and
harbour defence. In fact, in 1915 the German submarine command
likened their ocean—going submarines to -pike let loose
_
stocked Carp pond. And when the Sec‘0nd
’
Atlantic became once again a “carp pond’ with]U+boats,_sinkin‘g
merchant ship'pingfa—ster than it could be'replaced', This carnagewas
cut short in 1942 when aircr—aftùuntingthem
The development of the ‘snmkelhelped
r'edre'ss
…
required the uSe of atomic, power” to put
On top:
the modern nuclear sûbmarine holds the key to any future con‘iCt.
Anti—submarinewarw »;
,
»
j
;
:
:
i“ [
t
>
A Polaris submarine, armed with the 9'A—‘3
…—8,242,500
square miles : of ocean to hide in if
_
covering» fa: target 1,000 miles
inland; The
has a range of :‘more than 100,000
miles Without refùelling: and
cruise atr speed3* in …excess_
of
25 knots, deep under the surface for m0nths
son—end. In addition
(