| Mark 18 torpedo | |
|---|---|
,_April_1943.jpg) Mark 18 torpedo general profile as illustrated in its service manual, April 1943 | |
| Type | Anti-surface ship torpedo[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943–1950 |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Westinghouse Electric[1] Electric Storage Battery Co. |
| Designed | 1943[1] |
| Manufacturer | Westinghouse Electric[1] Naval Ordnance Station Forest Park |
| Produced | 1943–1945[2] |
| No. built | 9000[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3,154 lb (1,431 kg)[1] |
| Length | 245 in (6.2 m)[1] |
| Diameter | 21 in (530 mm)[1] |
| Effective firing range | 4,000 yd (3,700 m)[1] |
| Warhead | Mod 0 Torpex, Mod 2 Torpex/HBX,[3] Mod 3, HBX[1] |
| Warhead weight | Mod 0 600 lb (272 kg), Mod 2 595 lb (270 kg),[3] Mod 3 575 lb (261 kg)[1] |
Detonation mechanism | Mk 8 contact exploder, Mk 9 contact/influence exploder[1] |
| Engine | Electric motor[1] |
| Maximum speed | 29 kn (54 km/h)[1] |
Guidance system | Gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | Submarines[1] |
The Mark 18 torpedo was an electric torpedo used by the United States Navy during World War II. The Mark 18 was the first electric storage battery torpedo manufactured for the US Navy and it was designed primarily for use as a submarine-launched torpedo.[4]
- ^ a b Jolie, E.W. (15 September 1978). "A Brief History of U.S. Navy Torpedo Development". Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ a b Wildenberg, Thomas; Polmar, Norman (2010), Ship Killer: A History of the American Torpedo, Naval Institute Press, p. 220, ISBN 978-1-59114-688-9
- ^ U.S. Navy Torpedo Mark 18 (Electric), Description, Adjustment, Care, and Operation. United States Navy. April 1943.