GreatDaeld
Recruit
- 4
- Sep 18, 2025
Hello
I am looking into the development of Italian aerial torpedoes during the war, and i was caught up on something peculiar. The Germans bought several W 170/450x5.46 torpedoes from Italy, but in a german ammunition handbook i found that the characteristics of the F5w differed from the W 170/450x5.46. Waffentechnische Vorschriften and it is under D Luft 4306 Teil 1 Heft A Allgemeine Angaben.
Most notably there is a difference in the weight of the explosives, the italian is listed as 170 kg whereas the german is listed with 200 kg. But it also carries a larger charge power (200 kg/cm2 versus less for the italian iirc)
I have a suspicion that either the germans or italians improved the torpedo during the war, as the technical document is from 1943. But i have not been able to locate any information about this on the internet.
Would anyone here happen to have knowledge about this matter, or even earlier german documentation of the F5w?
best regards
I am looking into the development of Italian aerial torpedoes during the war, and i was caught up on something peculiar. The Germans bought several W 170/450x5.46 torpedoes from Italy, but in a german ammunition handbook i found that the characteristics of the F5w differed from the W 170/450x5.46. Waffentechnische Vorschriften and it is under D Luft 4306 Teil 1 Heft A Allgemeine Angaben.
Most notably there is a difference in the weight of the explosives, the italian is listed as 170 kg whereas the german is listed with 200 kg. But it also carries a larger charge power (200 kg/cm2 versus less for the italian iirc)
I have a suspicion that either the germans or italians improved the torpedo during the war, as the technical document is from 1943. But i have not been able to locate any information about this on the internet.
Would anyone here happen to have knowledge about this matter, or even earlier german documentation of the F5w?
best regards
