Mark 27 torpedo
| Mark 27 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Type | Acoustic torpedo |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943-1946 |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bell Telephone Laboratories |
| Designed | 1943 |
| Manufacturer | Western Electric |
| No. built | 1000 |
| Variants | Mark 27 Mod 4 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 720 pounds (330 kg) |
| Length | 90 inches (2.3 m) |
| Diameter | 19 inches (48 cm) (21-inch (53 cm) guide rails) |
| Effective firing range | 5,000 yards (4.6 km) (approx. 12 minutes search duration) |
| Warhead | Mk 27 Mod 0 |
Detonation mechanism | Mk 11 Mod 2 contact exploder |
| Engine | Electric |
| Maximum speed | 12 knots (22 km/h) |
Guidance system | Gyroscope |
Launch platform | Submarines |
The Mark 27 torpedo was the first of the United States Navy 19-inch (48-cm) submarine-launched torpedoes. This electrically-propelled torpedo was 125 inches (3.175 m) long and weighed 1174 pounds (534 kg). The torpedo employed a passive acoustic guidance system and was intended for both submarine and surface targets. Nicknamed "Cutie" by submarine crews, the Mark 27 entered service in 1943 as a defensive weapon. The torpedo was classified as obsolete in the 1960s.
The Mark 27 was essentially a Mark 24 mine which had been modified for submarine launching in a 21-inch (53 cm) submerged torpedo tube by the addition of 1" (25 mm) wooden guide studs mounted on the torpedo's outer shell.