Technology and Operations
This forum is for discussing technological & operational matters pertaining to U-boats.
Re: Torpedo Launching
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: October 28, 2003 04:28PM
Hi Robert,
Miller's book is good - I have it too, but it isn't completely without errors. The G7a initially had a single 6-bladed propeller, not 2 counter-rotating propellers and there are photos around showing the single propeller as I mentioned in my post. I only included the possibility of that changing with later models as a result of Miller's comment on page 92 and other photos I have seen of a torpedo that had 2 propellers that was labeled as being a G7a. Other than the propeller arrangement, I have a hard time telling the two types apart. The G7a has a hole in the back to let the bubble trail out but some of the photos that claim to be of the G7e also had a hole there (which perhaps didn’t go all of the way through or didn’t serve the same purpose as the hole in the G7a). Actually I just read a description of a G7a with a single 6-bladed propeller in Gannon, Michael. Black May. New York: Dell Publishing, 1998. ISBN: 0-440-23564-2. Copyright: Michael Gannon, 1998. – Page 9. I just happen to be reading it at the moment. However this isn’t the only account of the G7a having a single 6-bladed propeller I have found. Most of the torpedo photos I have seen either obviously had 2 counter-rotating propellers or you couldn’t see the propellers clearly in the photograph though. Perhaps there were some stocks or parts left over from WWI at the beginning of WWII.
Also this question came up on the forum several years ago and I saved the text of the post but not the author’s name.
As to the "tripping latch", I think I see it in the photo. There are two elongated holes side by side and the one on the right has something protruding from it that is in the "back" position which might be the "guide stud" you mention and the one on the left has something protruding in the "forward" position which might be the "tripping latch" you mention. Is that correct?
Regards,
Ken Dunn
Miller's book is good - I have it too, but it isn't completely without errors. The G7a initially had a single 6-bladed propeller, not 2 counter-rotating propellers and there are photos around showing the single propeller as I mentioned in my post. I only included the possibility of that changing with later models as a result of Miller's comment on page 92 and other photos I have seen of a torpedo that had 2 propellers that was labeled as being a G7a. Other than the propeller arrangement, I have a hard time telling the two types apart. The G7a has a hole in the back to let the bubble trail out but some of the photos that claim to be of the G7e also had a hole there (which perhaps didn’t go all of the way through or didn’t serve the same purpose as the hole in the G7a). Actually I just read a description of a G7a with a single 6-bladed propeller in Gannon, Michael. Black May. New York: Dell Publishing, 1998. ISBN: 0-440-23564-2. Copyright: Michael Gannon, 1998. – Page 9. I just happen to be reading it at the moment. However this isn’t the only account of the G7a having a single 6-bladed propeller I have found. Most of the torpedo photos I have seen either obviously had 2 counter-rotating propellers or you couldn’t see the propellers clearly in the photograph though. Perhaps there were some stocks or parts left over from WWI at the beginning of WWII.
Also this question came up on the forum several years ago and I saved the text of the post but not the author’s name.
As to the "tripping latch", I think I see it in the photo. There are two elongated holes side by side and the one on the right has something protruding from it that is in the "back" position which might be the "guide stud" you mention and the one on the left has something protruding in the "forward" position which might be the "tripping latch" you mention. Is that correct?
Regards,
Ken Dunn
