The Champion Submarine-Killing Submarine of World War Two

 

Virtual Tour

Tour Main

Forward Torpedo Room

 
 

 
 
Used for storing and firing torpedoes.  At the forward end of the torpedo room are the doors of six impulse type torpedo tubes, 21 inches in diameter and 21 feet long.  The compartment stored a total of 16 torpedoes - six in the tubes and 10 in the room.  It had heavy storage racks on both sides, stacked two high, for 8 of the torpedoes.  The room's removable deck plates allowed the other two torpedoes to be stored under the deck.  The Batfish would take a total of 24 torpedoes on patrol, the remaining 8 being in the aft torpedo room.
 
     
 
This area also provided bunk space for the torpedomen.  Some of the crew's bunks filled space above and below the stacked torpedoes.  Other bunks hung from the overhead and the remainders were on the starboard side, in the torpedo-loading pit

 

  The forward room incorporated an escape hatch and supply of Momson lungs, to jprovide means for the crew to escape from the submerged submarine in case of emergency.  In the aft part of the room, on the starboard side, is a shower and tolet that was used mainly by the officers.