Mark 14 torpedo side view and interior mechanisms, as published in a service manual
Type
Anti-surface ship torpedo[1]
Place of origin
United States
Service history
In service
Unknown–1980
Used by
United States Navy
Wars
World War II
Production history
Designer
Naval Torpedo Station Newport, Rhode Island[1]
Designed
1931[1]
Manufacturer
Naval Torpedo Station Newport, RI[1] Naval Torpedo Station Alexandria, VA Naval Torpedo Station Keyport, Washington Naval Ordnance Plant Forest Park, IL
Produced
1942-1945[2]
No. built
13,000[2]
Specifications
Mass
Mod.0: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)
Mod.3: 3,061 lb (1,388 kg)
Length
20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Diameter
21 in (530 mm)
Effective firing range
4,500 yards (4,100 m) at 46 knots (85 km/h) 9,000 yards (8,200 m) at 31 knots (57 km/h)
Warhead
Mod.0 TNT Mod.3 Torpex
Warhead weight
Mod.0: 507 lb (230 kg) Mod.3: 643 lb (292 kg)
Detonation mechanism
Contact or magnetic pistol
Engine
Wet-heater combustion / steam turbine with compressed air tank
Propellant
180 proof ethanol blended with methanol or other denaturants
Maximum speed
46 knots (85 km/h)
Guidance system
Gyroscope
Launch platform
Submarines
A Mark 14 torpedo on display at Fisherman's Wharf in San FranciscoA Mark 14 torpedo on display in Cleveland, near USS Cod
The Mark 14 torpedo was the United States Navy's standard submarine-launched anti-ship torpedo of World War II. This weapon was plagued with many problems which crippled its performance early in the war. It was supplemented by the Mark 18 electric torpedo in the last two years of the war. From December 1941 to November 1943 the Mark 14 and the destroyer-launched Mark 15 torpedo had numerous technical problems that took almost two years to fix.[3] After the fixes, the Mark 14 played a major role in the devastating blow U.S. Navy submarines dealt to the Japanese naval and merchant marine forces during the Pacific War.
By the end of World War II, the Mark 14 torpedo was a reliable weapon ultimately remaining in service for almost 40 years in the U.S. Navy, and even longer with other navies.
^ abcd"Torpedo History: Torpedo Mk14". Archived from the original on 15 September 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
^ abJolie, E.W. (15 September 1978). "A Brief History of U.S. Navy Torpedo Development". Retrieved 5 June 2013.
^"The Tragedy of the Mark XIV Torpedo in World War II". militaryhistoryonline.com. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
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