| Dimensions
|
19" by 7'6" 48.3cm by 2.286m |
| Weight |
720 lbs 320 kg |
| Range | 5000 yards (4570m) at 12 knots |
| Warhead | 95 lb (43 kg) Torpex |
The Mark 27 torpedo was a modified version of the Mark 24, an aerial
homing torpedo that apparently saw no use in the Pacific. The Mark 27
was equipped with guidance rails that allowed it to be fired from
standard 21" submarine torpedo
tubes. The weapon was equipped with four crystal
hydrophones around its body that steered the torpedo towards a source
of noise. It was intended as a "last-resort" defensive weapon against
escort ships. In spite of its low speed and small charge, it had
considerable success, scoring 33 hits out of 106 fired and sinking 24
of its targets.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index