The wooden fins fitted to torpedo's on the Taranto raid.

• Feb 22, 2023

• #1

P

PAT303

Tech Sergeant

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Dec 31, 2018

So I've always wondered how the wooden fins worked on the torpedo's dropped at Taranto, I was lead to believe that they caused to torps to rise up immediately after hitting the water but I was wrong, the wooden fins ''flew'' the torpedo's on a flatter trajectory so they hit the water at a much shallower angle that normal.
View: https://youtu.be/JweZK_ii8c4?t=1050

 

• Feb 22, 2023

• #2

SaparotRob

Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII

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Mar 12, 2020

Long Island, NY

I wondered about that too.

 

• Feb 22, 2023

• #3

cammerjeff

Staff Sergeant

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Dec 26, 2006

Belleville MI

I always knew that torpedo's were complicated, but that video shows they are more complicated than I thought, I also did not know the air fin angle was controlled by an angle of attack vane. Very interesting!