Can a single torpedo sink a ship?
The answer is of course, that one torpedo can sink a ship regardless of her size.
How does a modern torpedo sink a ship?
On detonation, triggered by recognition of the ship’s magnetic signature, a spherical gas bubble forms. A high pressure shock wave moves through the water and applies a huge force to the hull crushing it and lifting it out of the water.
Can a ship survive a torpedo?
In the highly unlikely event that an icebreaker is targeted by a torpedo, its survival will be a mixture of luck and the complex interplay of stresses and strains on her hull should she be hit. If the torpedo is of a deep-diving, under-keel explosive type, the ship’s fate is likely sealed.
Has the US ever lost a carrier?
The U.S. Navy’s first aircraft carrier, the Langley, is sunk by Japanese warplanes (with a little help from U.S. destroyers), and all of its 32 aircraft are lost. The Langley was launched in 1912 as the naval collier (coal transport ship) Jupiter.
Could a torpedo sink an aircraft carrier?
It is impossible for a defensive aircraft carrier such as the Taiho to be sunk by the hit of a single torpedo. The main cause of the sinking of the Taiho was the fire disaster. The Taiho was constructed to be unsinkable; however, its special fight deck defense turned out to be of no use whatsoever.
What speed does a torpedo travel at?
It could travel about 180 metres (200 yd) at an average speed of 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h). The speed and range of later models were improved by increasing the pressure of the stored air.
Do torpedoes circle back?
But they also had a secret weakness: Many of their torpedoes would explode too early, would swim under their targets without exploding, or might even circle back around to hit them. It wasn’t the only flawed torpedo, but most of the Navy’s torpedo problems centered around the Mk.
How do ships protect themselves from torpedoes?
This fast-reacting countermeasure consists of an externally mounted rotary launcher of eight intercept devices, a Paket-E control system, and a Paket-AE sonar set. The system can automatically alert on an incoming torpedo, calculate its path and launch a torpedo disabling anti-torpedo.
How deep can a torpedo go?
| Mark 48 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Propellant | Otto fuel II |
| Maximum depth | 500 fathoms, 800 m (2,600 ft) (estimated), officially “greater than 1,200 ft” |
| Maximum speed | 55 kn (63 mph; 102 km/h) (estimated) officially “greater than 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)” |
| Guidance system | Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System |
What is the largest shipwreck ever found?
The ring alone was valued at $500,000. In 2014, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha was added to the Guinness Book of World Records as being the most valuable shipwreck ever to be recovered and the most valuable treasure ever found in the ocean.