G7 torpedo

Introduction

While torpedoes are one of the scary weapons developed by mankind, their effectiveness during the early years of WW-II is debated. In this post, we will have a glimpse of a G7 torpedo which comprised the majority of Nazi Germany torpedos. These torpedoes were fitted on U-boats, destroyers, S-boats, cruisers.

As per the experts, Japan developed the most effective torpedoes during WW-II. Shackled by the Treaty of Versailles, lack of a long shoreline, and overall low priority given to the naval developments, the Nazi Germany borrowed the torpedo technology from the Japanese.

Neither I knew nor could I guess the exact version of the torpedoes when I took these pictures.

Approximate Values

Weight(self): 1528 kg
Weight(explosives): 280 kg
Speed-Range Matrix:
44 knot – 6 km
40 knot – 7.5 km
30 knot – 14 km
Engine: 4-cylinder, wet heater
Note that the range was lower for U-boats than S-boats.
Explosives: Schießwolle 36: 67% Trinitrotoluol, 8% Hexanitrodiphenylamin and 25% Aluminumpowder

Operation

All the torpedos had a similar mechanism. The warhead was at the front of the torpedo. The spotters would report an enemy/target ship. The launching crew would then set the parameters like distance to run, war depth, gyro angle, etc. and launch the torpedo. Upon hitting the ship, it would trigger the detonator, thereby setting the explosives. Check the ‘Demo‘ for the detailed process.

The interesting fact I learned is that the latitude at which the torpedo was fired had a huge impact on its accuracy e.g: the torpedoes used during the Narvik campaign were woefully inaccurate due to the magnetic field difference near the polar regions.

Demo

Warning: This video may not match the exact model, mechanism, and the other technical features as it is pretty difficult to find material about the Nazi Germany naval artefacts. Please treat this video as a primer.

Usage

The G7 torpedo family was used by Nazi Germany’s navy(Kriegsmarine) throughout WW-II.

Disclaimer

The ‘Demo’ section might contain third-party images/videos/other multimedia. The author neither claims nor intends any infringement, and tries best to give credits to the original creators/owners. The only purpose of including the third-party material is to provide the readers as much information as possible, in an intuitive manner.