What can you tell me about the Long Lance?

[flakbait]

I just finished reading about the battle for Ironbottom sound off Guadalcanal. More than once Long Lance torpedoes are mentioned, but nothing given about them. Mind letting me in on some info regarding it?


Thanks




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Flakbait
Delta 6's Flight School
"My art is the wings of an aircraft through the skies, my music the deep hum of a prop as it slices the air, my thrill the thunder of guns tearing asunder an enemy plane."
Flakbait
19 September 2000

[Karnak]

Type 93 "Long Lance"

Length: 29'6"
Diameter: 24"
Weight: 5952lbs
Warhead: 1080lbs
Range: 20000m at 48kts, 32000m at 40kts, 40000m at 36kts
Reliability: High

The Long Lance was probably the best torpedo in the world in 1942-1944


As a comparison, here is the standard US Navy destroyer torpedo, the Mark 15:

Mark 15

Length: 24'
Diameter: 21"
Weight: 3841lbs
Warhead: 825lbs
Range: 5500m at 45kts, 9150m at 33kts, 13700m at 26kts
Reliability: Low

Sisu
-Karnak

[RAM]

Here it goes :


24" (61 cm) Type 93 (1933) Model 1, Mod 1, Mod 2 and Mod 3
 
Ship Class.Used On Surface Ships
Date Of Design:1933
Date In Service:1935
Weight:5,952 lbs. (2,700 kg)
Overall Length:29 ft 6.3 in (9.000 m)
Explosive Charge:1,080 lbs. (490 kg) Type 97
Range / Speed:
21,900 yards (20,000 m) / 48-50 knots
35,000 yards (32,000 m) / 40-42 knots
43,700 yards (40,000 m) / 36-38 knots
Power:Kerosene-oxygen wet-heater
---------------------------------------

They were the best torpedo in the world until "intelligent" torpedoes came true.

[flakbait]

Thanks guys. I knew the US Mk. 15 was a piece of junk, but all I ever knew about Japanese torps was that they made things to BOOM. From what I've read, and been told, the Mk. 15 was useless due to faulty fuse design. Now I know a little more about Japanese weapons.

Thanks again



------------------
Flakbait
Delta 6's Flight School
"My art is the wings of an aircraft through the skies, my music the deep hum of a prop as it slices the air, my thrill the thunder of guns tearing asunder an enemy plane."
Flakbait
19 September 2000

[RAM]

In fact I think that the Mk15 had contact fuses right from the start. It was the magnetic fuses on submarine-launched Mk14s that gave endless problems due to faulty detonations.

I think there was a problem with the air launched Mk13 and the ship launched Mk15,too, with defective gyros that made the torpedo run too deep.

The problem is that the Long Lance was much of a secret weapon up to late'42. Its incredible range at its high speed was all but unknown for everybody but the japaneses themselfs.

So when the time came to battle, Americans found:
1st: that japanese night fighting training was light years ahead of that in US Navy.

2nd: that they were struck by torpedoes even before they knew that there were japanese forces neearby.

3rd: that not only they were stealth weapons, but also VERY FAST. Most CAs hit by long lances weren't taking evasive moves, because they simply thought that they weren't still in danger of a torpedo hit.

As soon as the US Navy started to rely more in radar for the night battles, the L.Lance effectivity came to a stop. After 1943 I can't think of a US ship sunk because a Japanese surface-launched torpedo.

[This message has been edited by RAM (edited 10-14-2000).]