IJN 61 cm (24") F3 (Experimental) Torpedo

[Grey Havoc]

World War II Torpedoes of Japan - NavWeaps

www.navweaps.com

Came across this again today while trying to find information on possible use by the JSDF of Mark 32 torpedo tubes (built under licence by Watanabe Iron Works) as shore based torpedo launchers. It's interesting to speculate what effect the F3 would have had on the Pacific War if they had managed to iron out the bugs.

 

[World B4]

The Japanese were already well ahead of the allies in torpedo technology, I doubt it would've made any real difference

 

[DWG]

This is a conventional range torpedo, whereas it was the long range of the Long Lance that caused the Allies problems (though ISTR the stats for torpedoes launched vs kills aren't actually that impressive). To adopt it, the Japanese would have had to abandon Long Lance and load F3 instead, which would mean them engaging from gun range. The short time of run would help them, but they'd have to endure being shot up on the way in much more than with Long Lance.

 

[Colonial-Marine]

The extreme range of the Type 93 seemed to have been more useful in theory than it ever was in practice. The Japanese never fought the massive Jutland 2.0 battle they wanted where they would have fired hundreds of torpedoes off at very long range.

Considering how the war was actually fought they would probably have been better off with a torpedo that traded off some of that long range for reduced size, maybe 21" like just about everyone else. This would leave more room on their destroyers for other important items.

 

[World B4]

The extreme range of the Type 93 seemed to have been more useful in theory than it ever was in practice. The Japanese never fought the massive Jutland 2.0 battle they wanted where they would have fired hundreds of torpedoes off at very long range.

Considering how the war was actually fought they would probably have been better off with a torpedo that traded off some of that long range for reduced size, maybe 21" like just about everyone else. This would leave more room on their destroyers for other important items.

I feel as though that's what the Type 93 a success, it's long range and heavy warhead helped a numerically inferior IJN win battles early war, and not spend time, drydock space, and resources on repairing damaged ships that had to close to within range of enemy guns and torpedoes in order to attack. Were they a liability at times? Yes, absolutely. But when you plan to fight a war with a navy far bigger than your own, you need the technological edge.