Racing Destroyer Fires Stream of Torpedoes
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Title (Dublin Core)
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Racing Destroyer Fires Stream of Torpedoes
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Article Title and/or Image Caption (Dublin Core)
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Racing Destroyer Fires Stream of Torpedoes
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extracted text (Extract Text)
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AMONG the most formidable "hornets of the sea" ever designed are Great Britain's new and revolutionary destroyers. Now under construction, these fight craft are each equipped with ten torpedo tubes for launching the latest type of twenty-one inch torpedoes. Two sets of quintuple torpedo tubes are provided, giving each destroyer great attacking power. The torpedoes may be fired in "ripple" fashion, that is in a stream, one after the other leaving the tubes and reaching the vicinity of an enemy ship in succession, Since the torpedoes spread out as they are fired, the chance of hitting the target is much greater than if a single torpedo were fired at a time. Even though the target ship may be moving at full speed, the spreading stream of projectiles considerably reduces the likelihood of the enemy's escape. In addition, each destroyer is provided with depth charges for war against enemy submarines. Two depth-throwers are located to port and starboard and a discharger or depth-charge dropper is fitted at the stern. After the hostile submarine has been located by the air-bubble streak, the destroyer proceeds at full speed over him and starts to discharge its depth charges. The throwing mechanism hurls the 300-pound explosives 120 feet to port and starboard and dead astern, literally blanketing the submarine below. Since the charges are set to explode at varying depths, the chance of a hit is even greater.
The water pressure created by the explosions is sufficient to cause heavy leakage in the hull of the most stoutly constructed underwater craft. Additional armament of the new destroyers includes six 4.7-inch guns in pairs and multiple pom-poms firing two-pound shells with machine-gun rapidity for defense against aircraft. High-speed operation is another feature of these "sea hornets." Although they have only one streamline funnel, their boilers are very efficient, when compared with those used in warcraft up to this time. The boilers are of the water-tube, high-pressure type and are housed in inclosed stokeholds. Turbines developing 40,000 horsepower give a speed in excess of thirty-five knots. This type of destroyer is the first ever designed for the British fleet with only one funnel. Length of the craft is 348 feet at the waterline and the displacement is 1,690 tons. Each of these powerful warcraft is manned by a crew of 218.
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Language (Dublin Core)
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eng
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Date Issued (Dublin Core)
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1939-03
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pages (Bibliographic Ontology)
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398-399
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Rights (Dublin Core)
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Public Domain (Google digitized)
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Archived by (Dublin Core)
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Matteo Ridolfi
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Alberto Bordignon (Supervisor)
Popular Mechanics, v. 71, n. 3, 1939
