Mix of different torpedo types?

[WelshZeCorgi]

Not sure, did RL ships carry different torpedo versions (e.g. 4 electric and 4 oxygen enriched) or did they only carry just one type?

[disc]

Submarines could and did, for example a mix of electric and wet-heater types.

 

For surface ships, it was certainly more rare. Most would carry all of one type/version, especially as rotating topside mounts would come with few reloads. 8 and 10 tube US destroyers generally had 4 reload torpedoes, for example, up to the Fletcher class. Homogeneity is useful in a broadside.

Considering US predreadnoughts, flywheel and compressed-air torpedoes were mounted on separate ships due to different launching equipment. This is one of the barriers to "mixed" batteries -- may need extra parts.

Off the top of my head, I believe there was some German WWI interest in mixing wet-heater and compressed air "cold" torpedoes, as the latter would require no warmup time. I will have to check if this was done.

Edit: It was a British idea, not German. As akd points out, this was actually Royal Navy practice on some WWI destroyers. Apparently the idea was dropped by 1921 and the tubes disembarked.

 

Generally (except for ASW), electric torpedoes were not used by surface ships, because they had inferior performance to conventional wet-heaters. Their stealthiness was far more useful to submarines.

Edited January 2, 2020 by disc

[akd]

6 hours ago, disc said:

 

Off the top of my head, I believe there was some German WWI interest in mixing wet-heater and compressed air "cold" torpedoes, as the latter would require no warmup time. I will have to check if this was done.

Brits pursued this for a time:

Quote

In 1917, in connection with the proposed S class design, Commodore (T) Tyrwhitt therefore asked for a pair of 18in tubes, one on each side, firing short-range cold torpedoes controlled from the forebridge, specifically to deal with enemy destroyers or submarines. As approved by the Board in April 1917, they were installed under the new ships’ bridges, so that an officer on the bridge could instinctively hit a nearby target athwartships. The tubes were stowed inboard, swinging out ninety degrees to fire.

Some Harwich and Dover Patrol ships were each equipped with two 14in tubes for snap shots.

From Friedman’s British Destroyers.

This is of course at the time when 21in torpedos were standard on new destroyers.

Edited January 2, 2020 by akd