The installation of the Torpedo Weapons Systems
changed over Sumner's years of service with at least one configuration being aboard
during her entire thirty year career. All of the photos on this page are of the
systems as they appeared on the Sumner.
21 inch Quintuple Mark
14 and Mark 15 Mounts
The first system was the 21 inch Quintuple Mark 14 and
Mark 15 Mount. Each mount held five 21 inch Mark 15 Torpedoes. The difference
between the Mark 14 and 15 mounts was in the blast shield, also known as the Dog
House, around the Mark 15's controls to protect the operators from the blast
from 5"/38 Mount 53. The Mark 15 Torpedo was 24 feet in length with a
weight of 3,850 lb. The warhead contained 800 lb. of TNT, Torpex or HBX. They
were steam turbine powered and used alcohol and water as fuel. Weapon range
depended on the speed setting with 26.5 knots giving 15,000 yards, 33.5 knots
10,000 yards and maximum speed of 45 knots only allowing 6,000 yards. They
operated at depths from 4 to 50 feet. The torpedoes were launched from the
mounts using a black powder charge from an impulse cartridge inserted into the
firing mechanism. The Mk 15 Mount was removed in 1945 and replaced with a Quad
40mm Mount, the Mk 14 Mount was removed during the FRAM II overhaul in 1961. The
following photographs display the systems as they appeared from 1943 into the
1950's.
January 23, 1944 at
Kearny, NJ
March 26, 1944 at sea off
Bermuda
Mark 15 Torpedo maintenance during World War II
View of the Mk 15 Mount
in 1945
Recovering a
Mk 15 torpedo after test firing
21 inch Single Mark 25
Tube
During the FRAM II overhaul two Mark 25 tubes were installed
on the O-1 Deck with one on each side angled forward at approximately a 45
degree angle. These mounts could fire the Mk 16 Mod 6 torpedo against surface
targets and the Mk 35 Mod 3 antisubmarine torpedo. The tubes could be adapted to
fire the Mk 37 Mod 0 torpedo. Firing was by compressed air. The Mk 16 Mod 6
torpedo was 20.5 feet in length weighing 4,000 pounds with an 800 lb. HBX-3
warhead. It had a single speed steam turbine fueled by alcohol, hydrogen
peroxide (NAVOL) and fresh water. The speed was 46 knots with a range of 14,000
yards operating at a depth of 10 to 50 feet. The Mk 35 Mod 3 torpedo was an
active acoustic homing torpedo that operated at depths of 0 to 1,000 feet. It
had a single speed propulsion system operating on a seawater primary battery and
electric motor. Its range was 13,000 yards with a speed of 27 knots. Length was
13.5 feet weighing 1,800 pounds and a 250 lb. warhead of HBX-3. The Mk 37
torpedo was 19 inches in diameter requiring special runners for firing from the
Mark 25 tube. 11.25 feet in length and a weight of 1,430 lb. it carried a
warhead of 330 lb. of HBX-3. An active/passive acoustic homing torpedo it had a
23,500 yard range at 17 knots and a 10,000 yard range at 26 knots. These tubes
were removed during the 1968 Overhaul at Charleston Naval Shipyard.
12.75 inch Torpedo in Triple Mark 32
Tubes and aboard the DASH System
Also during the FRAM II overhaul, two sets of the 12.75 inch Triple Mk32
Torpedo tubes were installed on the O-1 deck. They were designed to fire the Mk
44 and Mk 46 and with special liners the 10 inch Mk 43 Mod 3 torpedo. The Mk 44
was a one speed, 30 knot active acoustic homing torpedo using seawater primary
battery and electric motor for propulsion. They were 8.3 feet long weighing 422
lb. with an HBX-3 75 lb. warhead. It would run a helical search pattern for
10,000 yards at depths from 50 to 1,000 feet. They were fired using a 2,000
pound charge from the ship's high-pressure air system. This was the same torpedo used on
the QH-50c DASH system. These mounts were still aboard when the ship was
decommissioned.
Many thanks to Glen Burdett, Richard Sementelli, Eric Bollin,
Paul Rando, Jim Walker, John Boeckeler, Paul Delasco, Bill Ortz, Mike Raatjes, Doug Rinear,
Hank Lunki and Bruce Fulbright for saving and sharing these pieces of Sumner history with us.
