Ship Class Used On | Destroyers and Capital Ships |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1912 |
Date In Service | about 1914 |
Weight | 2,231 lbs. (1,012 kg) |
Overall Length | 18 ft. 10 in. (5.750 m) |
Explosive Charge | 320 lbs. (145 kg) TNT |
Range / Speed | 8,750 yards (8,000 m) / 28 knots |
Power | Kerosene Wet-heater |
Ship Class Used On | Destroyers and Capital Ships |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1918 |
Date In Service | about 1920 |
Weight | N/A |
Overall Length | 19 ft. 3.5 in. (5.880 m) |
Explosive Charge | N/A |
Range / Speed | 3,300 yards (3,000 m) / 34 knots |
Power | Kerosene Wet-heater |
Ship Class Used On | Pre-war Destroyers |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1919 |
Date In Service | about 1921 |
Weight | 3,053 lbs. (1,385 kg) |
Overall Length | 21 ft. 8 in (6.600 m) |
Explosive Charge | 525 lbs. (238 kg) picric acid |
Range / Speed | 2,200 yards (2,000 m) / 43 knots
4,400 yards (4,000 m) / 35 knots |
Power | Kerosene Wet-heater |
Used a four-cylinder radial engine.
Ship Class Used On | Pre-war Destroyers |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1919 |
Date In Service | about 1921 |
Weight | 4,034 lbs. (1,830 kg) |
Overall Length | 26 ft. 11 in. (8.200 m) |
Explosive Charge | 525 lbs. (238 kg) picric acid |
Range / Speed | 6,560 yards (6,000 m) / 35 knots
15,300 yards (14,000 m) / 25 knots |
Power | Kerosene Wet-heater |
Essentially an enlarged and longer range version of the 19V.
Ship Class Used On | 23D: Cruisers
23DT: Destroyers and Flotilla Leaders |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1923 |
Date In Service | about 1925 |
Weight | 4,560 lbs. (2,068 kg) |
Overall Length | 27 ft. 2 in. (8.280 m) |
Explosive Charge | 683 lbs. (310 kg) TNT (The 415 kg (915 lbs.) figure in the sketch below is the entire warhead assembly weight) |
Range / Speed | 9,840 yards (9,000 m) / 39 knots
14,200 yards (13,000 m) / 35 knots |
Power | Schneider alcohol / air heater |
Much improved torpedo with a four-cylinder radial engine. The alcohol acted as a diluent as well as a fuel source.
Ship Class Used On | Submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1924 |
Date In Service | about 1926 |
Weight | 3,285 lbs. (1,490 kg) |
Overall Length | 27 ft. 2 in. (8.280 m) |
Explosive Charge | 683 lbs. (310 kg) TNT |
Range / Speed | 3,300 yards (3,000 m) / 45 knots
7,650 yards (7,000 m) / 35 knots |
Power | Schneider alcohol / air heater |
These figures are for the earliest versions. Later versions had ranges of 4,400 yards (4,000 m) / 45 knots and 8,750 yards (8,000 m) / 35 knots. There is also mention of a 915 lbs. (415 kg) TNT explosive charge on some of the later models.
Ship Class Used On | 26V: Submarines
26W: MTB 26DA: Aircraft |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1926 |
Date In Service | about 1928 |
Weight | 1,486 lbs. (674 kg) |
Overall Length | 16 ft. 10.5 in. (5.140 m) |
Explosive Charge | 317 lbs. (144 kg) TNT |
Range / Speed | 2,200 yards (2,000 m) / 44 knots 3,300 yards (3,000 m) / 35 |
Power | Alcohol Wet-heater |
A single-stage turbine engined torpedo whose basic design was used for a variety of purposes. One of the best turbine systems developed in the period between World War I and World War II. Aircraft torpedoes had a shroud ring and were dropped from 260 feet (80 m).
Ship Class Used On | Not in service |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1944 |
Date In Service | Not in service |
Weight | N/A |
Overall Length | N/A |
Explosive Charge | N/A |
Range / Speed | 3,300 yards (3,000 m) / 55 knots 19,700 yards (18,000 m) / 40 knots |
Power | Oxygen |
The defeat of France early in World War II stopped most torpedo development and production. In 1944-45 an oxygen-fueled turbine engine was produced for this torpedo but very few details are available.
Ship Class Used On | Submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | 1956 |
Weight | 2,433 lbs. (1,104 kg) |
Overall Length | 173 in (4.400 m) |
Explosive Charge | 617 lbs. (280 kg) HBX-3 or TNT |
Range / Speed | 1,000 yards (900 m) / 50 knots |
Power | Oxygen-alcohol |
Equivalent to the USA's Weapon Alfa, the British Limbo and the Italian Menon, using a torpedo powerplant rather than a rocket to propel the torpedo to the desired point.
Ship Class Used On | Submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1955 |
Date In Service | 1960(?) |
Weight | 3,637 lbs. (1,650 kg) |
Overall Length | 276.0 in (7.0 m) |
Explosive Charge | 727 lbs. (330 kg) |
Range / Speed | 13,000 yards (12,000 m) / 25 knots |
Power | Battery |
Passive-homing torpedo that depends upon a firing solution delivering it to within 770 yards (700 m) of the target). This torpedo was developed based upon captured German torpedoes such as the T-5 homing torpedo.
Ship Class Used On | Submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1955 |
Date In Service | 1960 |
Weight | 3,637 lbs. (1,650 kg) |
Overall Length | 168.5 in (4.279 m) |
Explosive Charge | 440 lbs. (200 kg) Aluminum Tolite |
Range / Speed | 5,500 yards (5,000 m) / 25.5 knots |
Power | Nickel-Cadmium Battery |
A smaller version of the E12. Designed primarily for the small French anti-submarine submarines. Modified at least twice during the past thirty years to replace the batteries with silver-zinc models and better engines to double the range and increase the speed by 10 knots as well as better seeker-heads and larger warheads. No longer in French service, but still used by some export countries as of 2000.
Ship Class Used On | Submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | 1955 |
Date In Service | 1960(?) |
Weight | 3,637 lbs. (1,650 kg) |
Overall Length | 232.3 in (5.900 m) |
Explosive Charge | 660 lbs. (300 kg) Aluminum Tolite or HBX-3 |
Range / Speed | 13,000 yards (12,000 m) / 25 knots |
Power | Nickel-Cadmium Battery |
Export version of the E12 using a lengthened hull of the E14. Designed primarily to attack surface targets. Mod 2 version used a new homing head and had silver-zinc batteries.
Ship Class Used On | Surface ships |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | N/A |
Weight | 2,711 lbs. (1,230 kg) |
Overall Length | 205.9 in (5.230 m) |
Explosive Charge | 660 lbs. (300 kg) Aluminum Tolite or HBX-3 |
Range / Speed | 19,700 yards (18,000 m) / 35 knots |
Power | Battery |
Dual purpose (anti-ship and anti-submarine) torpedo. Has a passive seeker head.
Ship Class Used On | Submarines and surface ships |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | 1973 |
Weight | 3,108 lbs. (1,410 kg) |
Overall Length | 236 in (6.000 m) |
Explosive Charge | 551 lbs. (250 kg) HBX-3 |
Range / Speed | 19,700 yards (18,000 m) / 35 knots 31,700 yards (29,000 m) if operated at 24 knots during wire guidance phase |
Power | Zinc-silver oxide batteries |
Wire-guided dual-purpose torpedo with active-passive terminal homing.
F17 Mod 1 is 323 in (5.900 m) long, range / speed of 22,000 yards (20,000 m) / 35 knots.
F17 Mod 2 (1988) is 212.0 in (5.384 m) long, range / speed of 22,000 yards (20,000 m) / 40 knots.
F17P Mod 2 (1985) is 221 in (5.620 m) long, range / speed of 32,000 yards (30,000 m) / 35 knots.
These torpedoes have been experimentally tested using fiber optic cables in place of the traditional wires.
Ship Class Used On | Submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | 1960 |
Weight | 2,006 lbs. (910 kg) |
Overall Length | 170.1 in (4.320 m) |
Explosive Charge | 440 lbs. (200 kg) Tolite A1 |
Range / Speed | 5,500 yards (5,000 m) / 25 knots |
Power | Nickel-cadmium Battery |
Acoustic-homing anti-submarine torpedo. No longer in service in the French Navy but still used by export countries. About 600 manufactured.
Ship Class Used On | Aircraft |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | 1964 |
Weight | 1,157 lbs. (525 kg) |
Overall Length | 123 in (3.130 m) |
Explosive Charge | 331 lbs. (150 kg) HBX-3 |
Range / Speed | 5,500 yards (5,000 m) / 30 knots |
Power | Nickel-cadmium Battery |
Also used as the payload of the Malafon anti-submarine missile. Lightweight anti-submarine torpedo with an active acoustic homing system. This was the first French torpedo designed to English measurement units as part of the NATO standardization of weapons program. This torpedo describes a circular path until its seeker finds a target. Can be used against submarines traveling at speeds up to 20 knots and at depths down to 1,000 feet (300 m).
Ship Class Used On | Surface Ships and submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | L5 Mod 1 and Mod 3: 1971
L5 Mod 4: 1980 |
Weight | 2061 lbs. (935 kg) |
Overall Length | 170.1 in (4.320 m) |
Explosive Charge | 440 lbs. (200 kg) HBX-3 or TNT |
Range / Speed | Mod 1 and Mod 3: 7,700 yards (7,000 m) / 35 knots Mod 4: 10,000 yards (9,500 m) / 35 knots |
Power | Silver-zinc Battery |
The L5 was intended to take advantage of the 1960s increase in sonar ranges to approximately four times those possible during World War II. The L5 comes in three models, the L5 Mod 1, L5 Mod 3 and L5 Mod 4. Mod 1 and 4 are launched by surface ships while the Mod 3 is for surface ships and submarines. Can operate at depths down to 1,800 feet (550 m).
Ship Class Used On | Submarines |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | 1960 |
Weight | 3,780 lbs. (1,715 kg) |
Overall Length | 280 in (7.120 m) |
Explosive Charge | 660 lbs. (300 kg) Aluminum Tolite or HBX-3 |
Range / Speed | 5,500 yards (5,000 m) / 25 knots |
Power | Nickel-cadmium Battery |
Another torpedo based upon captured German technology, this was a pattern runner developed from the German LUT design. Z16 was the export version.
Ship Class Used On | Surface Ships |
---|---|
Date Of Design | N/A |
Date In Service | 1992 |
Weight | 551 lbs. (250 kg) |
Overall Length | 102.4 in (2.600 m) |
Explosive Charge | 110 lbs. (50 kg) Shaped-charge |
Range / Speed | 10,000 yards (9,000 m) / 53 knots |
Power | Aluminum-silver oxide battery |
A light-weight torpedo intended to replace the USN Mark 46, the L4 and the L5 torpedoes. Includes a parachute attachment for aircraft launching. Homing is active-passive.
"Naval Weapons of World War Two" by John Campbell
"The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems 1991/92" by Norman Friedman
Suffren & Duquesne: France's First Modern Carrier Escorts" by Jean Moulin and John Jordan as published in "Warship 2024"
"Jane's Underwater Warfare Systems 1997-98" edited by Anthony J. Watts
15 May 2006 - Benchmark
05 August 2020 - Converted to HTML 5 format
25 June 2023 - Added sketch of 23D/DT
08 May 2024 - Added photograph of L3 torpedoes