469:
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33:
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could not detonate, the motor would overheat and explode without water to cool it, sending splinters across the deck. Another issue was that the tubes were heavily lubricated with oil and grease to ensure that the torpedo was smoothly launched from the tube. Sometimes during launch, the charge would
418:
role. When it was first released, it was a highly advanced torpedo, but when it was actually deployed into service during World War II it was showing its age and unable to compete with modern torpedo technology. The low speed of the torpedo was one of the complaints; its
Japanese counterpart, the
456:
The torpedo lacked the explosive power of newer models. It carried less than 500 pounds (230 kg) of TNT-based explosives, which was far from a guaranteed ship kill. This frustrated many captains who, when hitting an enemy dead on, had the warhead detonate but not sink the target, and many
448:, where the humid climate would cause these charges to misfire, sometimes not putting enough force behind the torpedo to fully eject it from the tube. One other risk of these misfires was what is called "hot running", where the torpedo would run in its tube. Though the
431:
The Mark 8 had many technical difficulties with its design that would be a bane to the torpedomen who would use them. The first issue came with the process of simply launching the torpedo, which was fraught with its own set of difficulties. The
371:
built in the 1920s. All US battleships and most cruisers had their torpedo tubes removed by 1941. The Mark 8 remained in service through World War II on older destroyers, primarily the
621:
445:
440:, otherwise the torpedo would lose stability when it hit the water. The other issue concerned the launching mechanism. The initial system was set with a
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614:
399:
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Act, about 600 Mark 8 torpedoes were issued to the United
Kingdom for use with 50 pre-1930 destroyers it received under the
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ignite the lubricants in the tube causing a fire emitting black smoke that would reveal the location of the torpedo boat.
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in the torpedo was sensitive when it was first launched and it would need to be launched from an even
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Air (2,800 psi or 190 bar, 23.4 cu ft or 0.66 m)
1041:
Excerpt from MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS TACTICAL ORDERS AND DOCTRINE, July 1942
581:
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charge to push the torpedo out of the tube. This was a problem in the
423:, was significantly faster and more difficult to spot in the water.
467:
459:
437:
603:
272:
37:
Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo sitting on the deck of PT 21
323:'s first 21-inch (530 mm) by 21-foot (6.4 m)
1031:
The User manual for the
Torpedo Angle Solver Mark VIII
557:"United States of America Torpedoes Pre-World War II"
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410:The design was originally intended to be used on
339:. The torpedo was originally designed in 1911 by
347:and entered full mass production in 1913 at the
387:early in World War II, but was replaced by the
615:
536:"Torpedo History: Bliss–Leavitt Torpedo Mk 8"
8:
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20:
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7:
277:36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
267:Alcohol (49 US pints or 23 L)
14:
331:, most of its combat use was by
265:Water (90 US pints or 43 L)
31:
327:. Although introduced prior to
1055:Torpedoes of the United States
472:Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo 2
464:Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo 1
400:Destroyers for Bases Agreement
391:on most of these in mid-1943.
206:Maximum firing range
1:
25:Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo
724:Bliss-Leavitt Mark 9 torpedo
719:Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo
709:Bliss-Leavitt Mark 7 torpedo
704:Bliss-Leavitt Mark 6 torpedo
694:Bliss-Leavitt Mark 4 torpedo
689:Bliss-Leavitt Mark 3 torpedo
684:Bliss-Leavitt Mark 2 torpedo
679:Bliss-Leavitt Mark 1 torpedo
317:Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo
209:16,000 yards (15,000 m)
180:2,600 pounds (1,200 kg)
931:Mark 54 lightweight torpedo
1081:
1060:World War II naval weapons
969:
383:classes. It also equipped
188:256.3 inches (6.51 m)
965:
669:Whitehead Mark 2C torpedo
659:Whitehead Mark 1B torpedo
244:
200:
56:Place of origin
30:
16:Anti-surface ship torpedo
976:American 21 inch torpedo
972:American 18 inch torpedo
699:Whitehead Mark 5 torpedo
674:Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo
664:Whitehead Mark 2 torpedo
654:Whitehead Mark 1 torpedo
483:American 21-inch torpedo
228:466 pounds (211 kg)
1065:Bliss-Leavitt torpedoes
578:"The Mark VIII Torpedo"
427:Deployment difficulties
196:21 inches (530 mm)
473:
465:
341:Frank McDowell Leavitt
114:Frank McDowell Leavitt
952:Schwartzkopff torpedo
947:Bliss-Leavitt torpedo
800:Mark 21 Mod 2 torpedo
795:Mark 21 Mod 0 torpedo
649:Howell Mark 1 torpedo
471:
463:
355:. It was deployed on
353:Newport, Rhode Island
349:Naval Torpedo Station
132:Naval Torpedo Station
1025:History of Mark VIII
845:Mark 30 torpedo mine
714:Short Mark 7 torpedo
345:E. W. Bliss Company
240:Mk 3 Mod 2, contact
225:Warhead weight
980:Project Kingfisher
584:on 31 January 2013
474:
466:
321:United States Navy
105:Production history
81:United States Navy
1027:PT-king.gdinc.com
1009:
1008:
1000:UUM-125 Sea Lance
957:Whitehead torpedo
859:Post-World War II
457:targets escaped.
313:
312:
136:Naval Gun Factory
47:Anti-surface ship
1072:
1019:PT Boat Armament
992:RUM-139 VL-ASROC
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580:. Archived from
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1015:
1013:Further reading
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926:Mark 50 torpedo
921:Mark 48 torpedo
916:Mark 46 torpedo
911:Mark 45 torpedo
906:Mark 44 torpedo
901:Mark 43 torpedo
896:Mark 39 torpedo
891:Mark 37 torpedo
886:Mark 36 torpedo
881:Mark 35 torpedo
876:Mark 34 torpedo
871:Mark 33 torpedo
866:Mark 32 torpedo
854:
850:Mark 31 torpedo
840:Mark 29 torpedo
835:Mark 28 torpedo
830:Mark 27 torpedo
825:Mark 26 torpedo
820:Mark 25 torpedo
810:Mark 23 torpedo
805:Mark 22 torpedo
790:Mark 20 torpedo
785:Mark 19 torpedo
780:Mark 18 torpedo
775:Mark 17 torpedo
770:Mark 16 torpedo
765:Mark 15 torpedo
760:Mark 14 torpedo
755:Mark 13 torpedo
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739:Mark 12 torpedo
734:Mark 11 torpedo
729:Mark 10 torpedo
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421:Type 93 torpedo
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389:Mark 13 torpedo
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69:In service
64:Service history
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984:Mark 60 CAPTOR
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940:Related topics
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273:Maximum speed
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172:Specifications
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1038:Naval History
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996:UUM-44 SUBROC
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446:South Pacific
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59:United States
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1036:Indexed data
815:Mark 24 mine
748:World War II
718:
641:World War II
586:. Retrieved
582:the original
572:
560:. Retrieved
551:
539:. Retrieved
455:
442:black powder
430:
416:surface ship
409:
393:
379:
373:
337:World War II
316:
314:
220:, Mk 8 Mod 4
128:Manufacturer
99:World War II
77:Used by
18:
988:RUR-5 ASROC
414:in an anti-
365:World War I
361:battleships
329:World War I
95:World War I
1049:Categories
970:See also:
630:U.S. Navy
489:References
412:destroyers
396:Lend-Lease
394:Under the
357:destroyers
304:Destroyers
260:Propellant
234:Detonation
85:Royal Navy
1021:PT103.com
632:torpedoes
290:gyroscope
236:mechanism
72:1911–1945
477:See also
385:PT boats
369:cruisers
333:PT boats
319:was the
308:PT boats
299:platform
283:Guidance
193:Diameter
142:Variants
120:Designed
110:Designer
588:21 June
562:24 June
450:warhead
380:Clemson
363:during
343:of the
325:torpedo
254:Turbine
214:Warhead
50:torpedo
998:, and
541:3 June
406:Design
374:Wickes
297:Launch
285:system
250:Engine
185:Length
161:Mod 3D
159:Mod 3C
157:Mod 3B
155:Mod 3A
151:Mod 2B
149:Mod 2A
167:Mod 8
165:Mod 6
163:Mod 5
153:Mod 3
147:Mod 2
145:Mod 1
639:Pre-
590:2013
564:2013
543:2013
438:keel
434:gyro
377:and
367:and
359:and
315:The
306:and
177:Mass
123:1911
91:Wars
43:Type
351:in
335:in
218:TNT
1051::
994:,
990:,
986:,
982:,
978:,
974:,
497:^
402:.
623:e
616:t
609:v
592:.
566:.
545:.
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