Mark 14 Torpedo

The Mark 14 torpedo was used aboard U.S. submarines from 1938 to 1976. Weighing 3,000 pounds and powered by an alcohol- and compressed air-fueled steam generator, it could travel at 53 miles per hour for more than two miles. Because it was not properly tested during development, it suffered from serious problems, including running deeper than set so that it passed under enemy ships, a top-secret magnetic detonator that often exploded prematurely, and a backup contact exploder that often failed when the magnetic detonator was turned off. The Navy took two years to correct these defects, and by June 1944 it was working reliably most of the time, after which Japanese shipping losses skyrocketed. Its visible exhaust wake could also reveal a submarine's firing point to the enemy. This example is fitted with a yellow exercise head used to aid recovery after a test firing; warheads were unpainted and contained 600 pounds of high explosives, and Cod carried 24 torpedoes.

Cleveland, Ohio · United States