Type 97 torpedo facts for kids
The Type 97 was a special kind of underwater weapon called a torpedo. It was about 17.7 inches (45 cm) wide. The Imperial Japanese Navy used it during World War II.
This torpedo was made for Japan's small, two-person submarines, known as Kō-hyōteki midget submarines. It was designed to fit into their two torpedo tubes. The Type 97 was a smaller version of a bigger torpedo called the Type 93 "Long Lance". That one was used by larger Japanese ships. Bigger Japanese submarines used a different torpedo, the 21-inch Type 95 torpedo.
The Type 97 torpedo was not very successful. It was first used in battle during the attack on Pearl Harbor. After that, it was changed and called the Type 97 Special. Sometimes it was also known as the Type 98. This torpedo carried a 772 pounds (350 kg) explosive part, called a warhead. It could travel about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) at a speed of 44 knots (81 km/h).
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Type 97 Special Torpedoes in Action
Four Type 97 Special torpedoes were used during a Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour in Australia. This happened early in the morning on June 1, 1942.
Attack on USS Chicago
Two of these torpedoes were fired by the midget submarine M-24. They were aimed at a large American warship, the USS Chicago. The Chicago was docked at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour. Both torpedoes missed their target.
One of the torpedoes hit the harbour wall. It struck near a ship called HMAS Kuttabul. The Kuttabul was a ferry that had been turned into a depot ship. The torpedo sank the Kuttabul, and 19 Australian and 2 British sailors sadly died. The second torpedo did not explode. It simply ran aground, meaning it got stuck on the shallow seabed at Garden Island.
The Fate of M-21's Torpedoes
The other two torpedoes were fired by another midget submarine, M-21, also in Sydney Harbour. We don't know exactly when they were fired or what they were aimed at.
The M-21 submarine had been hit by HMAS Yandra near the entrance to Sydney Harbour. This happened around 11:00 PM on May 31. However, M-21 managed to recover and enter the harbour at 3:01 AM on June 1.
Finally, M-21 was trapped and sunk at 5:15 AM on June 1 in Taylors Bay, inside Sydney Harbour. When the wreck was brought up on June 4, both of its torpedoes had been fired. But the covers over the torpedo tubes did not open fully. The first torpedo moved about three feet out of its tube before getting stuck. The second torpedo moved only 18 inches (460 mm) before it also got stuck.
