| Mark 13 torpedo | |
|---|---|
,_13_October_1944_(80-G-298609).jpg) A Mark 13B torpedo being loaded onto a Grumman TBF Avenger aboard the Wasp in 1944; the torpedo is fitted with wooden breakaway nose and tail protection which is shed upon hitting the water | |
| Type | Aerial torpedo |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1936–1953[1] |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Wars | World War II, Korean War (Only on the Hwacheon Dam) |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bureau of Ordnance[2] Bureau of Aeronautics |
| Designed | 1925[2] |
| Manufacturer | Naval Torpedo Station[1] Pontiac Motor Division Amertorp Corporation International Harvester |
| Produced | 1942–1945[2] |
| No. built | 16,600[2] |
| Variants | Mod 1[3] Mod 2[3] Mod 2A – Mod 13[4] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,216 pounds (1,005 kg)[1] |
| Length | 161 inches (4.1 m)[1] |
| Diameter | 22.5 inches (57 cm)[1] |
| Effective firing range | 6,300 yards (5.8 km)[1] |
| Warhead | Torpex[1] |
| Warhead weight | |
Detonation mechanism | |
| Engine | Turbine[1] |
| Maximum speed | 33.5 knots (62.0 km/h)[1] |
Guidance system | gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | Douglas TBD Devastator[2] Grumman TBF Avenger Curtiss SB2C Helldiver Mark 1 Lightweight Rack [5] |
The Mark 13 torpedo was the U.S. Navy's most common aerial torpedo of World War II. It was the first American torpedo to be originally designed for launching from aircraft only.[3] They were also used on PT boats.
- ^ a b c d e Jolie, E.W. (15 September 1978). "A Brief History of U.S. Navy Torpedo Development". Maritime. United States Navy. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Torpedo Mark 13, OP 629(A), Description, Adjustment, Care, and Operation. United States Navy. July 1942.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ Friedman, Norman. U.S. Small Combatants, including PT-Boats, Subchasers, and the Brown Water Navy: An Illustrated Design History. Naval Institute Press. p. 157.