Offloading torpedoes for supply missions?
 

Anybody here do this?

I figure if Im carrying multiple tons of supplies that its taking up much of the torpedo storage space.

I tend to offload most if not all torpedoes except for whats in the tubes.

Anybody know how it worked in real life?

I do the same prior to departing. If out on patrol already, there really is no way to simulate the in-the-field off-load. But dependent upon where the boat was at the time of mission assignment dictated the method. If in a port with dockside derricks and cranes nearby, it was easier, but they could also do it with little derricks and winches onboard the sub itself. The more the merrier as far as people went for the muscle power. But there is no two ways about it, it was labor-intensive and downright dangerous, just with the weight of the torpedo and those small hatches to get through:


https://live.staticflickr.com/7891/4...db68db76_b.jpg

That looks to be the forward torpedo room above. Notice the deck gun turned toward port and elevated? (5in/25??) Several of the US boats early in the war were out on patrol and told to off-load torpedoes at one location to pick-up and take provisions in to Corregidor. For other later missions, the port laborers would either off-load, or not load that many torps to begin with. Some of the boats that participated in "SpyRon" in the SoWesPac had their reload stowage removed to make more room for provisions and/or Marine Raiders.




Rotten@$$ Windows 11... ruins any and all links I try to use on SubSim... Corrected on Win10 machine...

+1 on what PB posted.

usually, torpedoes from the Aft compartment were "sacrificed" because stern shots were more difficult to arrange. so, for supply missions, insertion missions, et.al. where extra space was needed for non-submarine stuff (and personnel), the Aft torpedo room was the place. they would load the available torpedo tubes with war shot and then the space occupied by the spares was re-allocated to supplies and non-sub personnel.

hope that helps.

Interesting.

Was it ONLY the aft torpedo room thus sacrificed?

Again, depended upon the situation, but usually, both rooms, fore & aft, lost all re-loads and they carried only what was in the tubes. It was more a weight issue than a space issue. They didn't want to just be able to dive, but also surface when needed... :roll: :D

pretty much.
have to keep in mind that there is not a lot of extra room on a sub.
when they shove off on patrol or special mission, they are packing food, ammo, etc for 50 days.
now...over and above that, they have to make room for the whatever "cargo" they are transporting. something has to stay home (guns vs butter) and it will not be food, nor fuel. so it ends up being some bullets.
if you read the operational history of the WWII boats, you will read that stern shots were tough to set up and execute, with all of the zig-zagging and shallow shorelines and reefs and escorts.