| Ship Class Used On | Pre-World War I Torpedo boats and World War I U-boats |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1890 |
| Date In Service | 1891 |
| Weight | 701 lbs. (318 kg) |
| Overall Length | 187 in (4.752 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 89 lbs. (40.5 kg) TNT |
| Range / Speed | 225 - 550 yards (200 - 500 m) / 25.9 knots
440 yards (400 m) / 29 knots |
| Power | Brotherhood system |
Smaller version of the C45/91 torpedo for use on smaller warships. Replaced the earlier C/84a. During World War I, following minor modifications, all of these torpedoes still remaining in the arsenals were successfully used by U-boats during 1915-16.
| Ship Class Used On | Pre-World War I Torpedo boats and World War I U-boats |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1890 |
| Date In Service | 1891 |
| Weight | 701 lbs. (318 kg) |
| Overall Length | 187 in (4.752 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 89 lbs. (40.5 kg) TNT |
| Range / Speed | 225 - 550 yards (200 - 500 m) / 26 knots
550 yards (500 m) / 29 knots |
| Power | Brotherhood system |
Increased range over the C35/91 achieved via greater accuracy which let it run further without deviation.
| Ship Class Used On | Brandenburg Class and early Small Cruisers (like Gefion, Freya and Geier) |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1890 |
| Date In Service | 1891 |
| Weight | 1,193 lbs. (541 kg) |
| Overall Length | 201 in (5.112 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 193 lbs. (87.5 kg) TNT |
| Range / Speed | 550 yards (500 m) / 32 knots
870 yards (800 m) / 26 knots |
| Power | Brotherhood system |
The first German 32-knot torpedo using the Woolwich-tail form. This torpedo was of stronger construction to allow launching heights greater than 8 feet (2.5 m).
| Ship Class Used On | Battleships and small cruisers |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1890 |
| Date In Service | 1892 |
| Weight | 1,212 lbs. (550 kg) |
| Overall Length | 201 in (5.100 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 434 lbs. (197 kg) TNT |
| Range / Speed | 550 yards (500 m) / 33.5 knots
1,310 yards (1,200 m) / 27 knots |
| Power | Brotherhood system |
Improved version of C45/91 Br.
| Ship Class Used On | Most pre-World War I surface ships |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1903 |
| Date In Service | 1905 |
| Weight | C/031: 460 lbs. (662 kg)
C/03 D: 1,422 lbs. (675 kg) |
| Overall Length | 203 in (5.150 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 388 lbs. (176 kg) TNT |
| Range / Speed | C/03:
1,640 yards (1,500 m) / 31 knots 3,280 yards (3,000 m) / 26 knots C/03 D:
|
| Power | C/03: Brotherhood system
C/03 D: Wet Heater |
The C/03 was first designed as an improved version of C/91 series. A modified version, the C/03 D, was the first German torpedo outfitted with a heater system. This increased their range over the C/03 by about 23%. As these torpedoes used a saltwater spray, corrosion problems prohibited any trial exercises, greatly reducing the Navy's proficiency with this weapon.
| Ship Class Used On | U-boats, starting with U-3 |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1906 |
| Date In Service | 1907 |
| Weight | C/06: 1,704 lbs. (773 kg)
C/06 D: 1,786 lbs. (810 kg) |
| Overall Length | 222 in (5.650 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 270 lbs. (122.6 kg) TNT |
| Range / Speed | C/06:
1,640 yards (1,500 m) / 34.5 knots 3,380 yards (3,000 m) / 26 knots C/06 D:
|
| Power | C/06: Brotherhood system
C/06 D: Wet Heater |
Submarine version of the C/03. First German torpedo which received a 4-cylinder instead of a 3-cylinder engine. All torpedoes from C/06 on were outfitted with gyro angle setters, first +/- 45°, later +/-90°.
| Ship Class Used On | Coastal Defense Batteries |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1907 |
| Date In Service | 1908 |
| Weight | 1,764 lbs. (800 kg) |
| Overall Length | 236 in (6.000 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 242.5 lbs. (110 kg) TNT |
| Range / Speed | 1,640 yards (1,500 m) / 36 knots
2,190 yards (2,000 m) / 32 knots |
| Power | C/07: Brotherhood system
C/07 D: Wet Heater |
Coastal Battery version of the C/03. Last German 45 cm (17.7") torpedo.
| Ship Class Used On | G/6: Ostfriesland-class, U-boats from U-19 and T-boats from G-174
G/6 D: Small Cruisers of the Breslau Class and following ships |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1908 |
| Date In Service | 1911 |
| Weight | N/A |
| Overall Length | 236 in (6.000 m) |
| Explosive Charge | G/6: 353 lbs. (160 kg) TNT/Hexanitrodiphenylamin (Hexanite) mixture
G 6 D: 362 lbs. (164 kg) TNT/Hexanitrodephenylamin (Hexanite) mixture |
| Range / Speed | G/6:
2,410 yards (2,200 m) / 35knots 5,470 yards (5,000 m) / 27 knots G/6 D:
|
| Power | G/6: Decahydronaphthalene (Decalin) Wet-Heater
G/6 D: Kerosene Wet-Heater |
Replaced on most ships by the G7 series by the time of the Battle of Jutland.
| Ship Class Used On | Capital Ships of World War I |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1910 |
| Date In Service | 1913 |
| Weight | 3,009 lbs. (1,365 kg) |
| Overall Length | 276 in (7,020 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 430 lbs. (195 kg) Hexanite |
| Range / Speed | 4,370 yards (4,000 m) / 37 knots
10,170 yards (9,300 m) / 27 knots |
| Power | Decahydronaphthalene (Decalin) Wet-Heater |
Originally designed for surface ships, but late in World War I was also used on U-boats.
| Ship Class Used On | Bayern and Mackensen classes, Lützow, Hindenburg, Cöln II, Dresden II and T-boat S 113 |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1912 |
| Date In Service | 1915 |
| Weight | N/A |
| Overall Length | 315 in (8.000 m) |
| Explosive Charge | 463 lbs. (210 kg) Hexanite |
| Range / Speed | 6,550 yards (6,000 m) / 36 knots
15,310 yards (14,000 m) / 30 knots |
| Power | Brotherhood system wet-heater |
Only a few ships ever received this "super torpedo." It is not known if any of them were successfully used.
| Ship Class Used On | Not in service |
|---|---|
| Date Of Design | 1912 |
| Date In Service | 1915 |
| Weight | N/A |
| Overall Length | 354 in (9.000 m) |
| Explosive Charge | about 694 lbs. (315 kg) Hexanite |
| Range / Speed | 19,700 yards (18,000 m) / 29 knots |
| Power | Brotherhood system wet-heater |
Proposed torpedo that did not enter service. There was also a proposed Junkers torpedo of 75 cm but no details survive.
"Jutland: An Analysis of the Fighting" and "Naval Weapons of World War Two" both by John Campbell
"Deutsche Grosskampfschiffe: 1915 bis 1918" by Freidrich Forstmeier and Siegfried Breyer
"Naval Weapons of World War One" by Norman Friedman
BA/MA RM 92-2711 "Klarschiffrolle SMS Hindenburg"
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Special help from Peter Lienau and John Hall
21 April 2007 - Benchmark
03 September 2012 - Added C35/91 table
28 December 2013 - Added information on J9 torpedo and photograph of U-Boat
05 October 2019 - Converted to HTML 5 format