Submarine Torpedo Tactics

Never-before-published, firsthand accounts of under-sea action presented with a summary of torpedo tactics illustrate how a submarine’s crew can hit a target trying to avoid being hit. Legendary figures in American submarine history come to life in actual logs of undersea warfare, and in accounts of sailors who were in the van of torpedo tactics development.
The technology is explained in detail, showing how American subs have been so successful in their hundred-year history. Outlandish gags and pranks of submarine skippers are included, showing just how brazen this elite group of super-competent sailors could be.
The reader travels through World War II and the Cold War as submarines and torpedoes enter the nuclear age. The book is filled with diagrams and illustrations.

Edward Monroe Jones, formerly with the U.S. Submarine Service, has written extensively on military history. A management consultant in the area of labor relations and organizational development, he lives in Port Ludlow, Washington.

Shawn S. Roderick is an active member of the American submarine force at the Naval Submarine Base, Bangor Washington. He served as an officer on both Los Angeles fast attack and FBM submarines and as a senior torpedo fire control technician. He lives in Oviedo, Florida.

Edward Monroe Jones and Shawn S. Roderick
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 232
Bibliographic Info: 20 figures, 10 photos, map, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9646-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1758-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vii

Preface 1

Introduction 3

1. The Torpedo Is Born 7

2. First World War Fire Control Techniques 16

3. Between the Wars 28

4. An Analysis of the Fire Control Problem 53

5. The Second World War 70

6. The Era of the GUPPY 98

7. From Tang to Nautilus 122

8. A Most Unusual Torpedo 135

9. Skipjack, the Convergence of Nautilus and Albacore 142

10. The Sturgeon-Class Submarine 151

11. The Los Angeles–Class Submarine 159

12. The Ballistic Missile Submarine 170

13. The Seawolf and Virginia Submarines 183

14. The Future of American Submarines 194

Appendix A—A Glossary of Submarine Fire Control Terminology 201

Appendix B—A Evolution of Submarine Torpedo Fire Control Equipment 205

Chapter Notes 207

Bibliography 217

Index 219

• “This is the first book specifically written to discuss the evolution of American submarine torpedo tactics…a solid job of tracking the evolution of the American submarine platform, and of the tactics used to attack surface ships during two world wars”—The Northern Mariner
• “The authors bring together a vast array of material, much of which has been published previously in snippets but never before presented together in such a coherent format. The net result is probably the best explanation yet of how submarine attacks have been and are now conducted. The authors also explain the development of submarine design in the United States. Their success is such that Submarine Torpedo Tactics may well be the best short outline of this process yet in print. It is concise, it highlights the major milestones, and it presents sufficient technical detail to make its case without overwhelming the non-specialist reader with esoteric terminology or concepts. [This book] displays excellence on so many levels. Anyone can only learn from this most enjoyable and informative study”—Nautical Research Journal