Except for on submarines, where there isn’t a deck, deck-launched torpedoes have been normal for about as long as torpedoes have been used. It’s much more of a nuisance to do things underwater than above the surface, so unless you’ve got a good reason, like being a submarine, generally we don’t.
Back when battleships carried torpedoes (WWI era) they were generally launched from underwater tubes. TBF arming battleships with torpedoes was easily one of the worst ideas in military history. It accomplished absolutely nothing (as best I can remember, the only time battleships ever hit another ship with torpedoes was when the already-crippled Bismarck was being demolished by Rodney) and just added large, indivisible spaces prone to asymmetrical flooding as well as more stuff to explode when you’re hit yourself.
The history of torpedoes is fun. The original ones were attached to a spar at the front of boats. The boat had a steam engine which they used to get up to speed to try to ambush and ram enemy capital ships. The threat these boats posed to capital ships gave rise to “torpoedo boat destroyers”, which we just call “destroyers” today.
The first kinds of torpedo boats that launched stand-alone torpedoes did use torpedo tubes, but they weren’t underwater. Underwater launching of torpedoes only started when torpedo boats evolved into U-boats (undersea boats, a.k.a. submarines). Destroyers remained torpedo boat destroyers, but now rather than hunting small, fast boats on the surface using small, fast guns, they hunted stealthy boats that were underwater with depth charges.
Back when battleships were armed with torpedoes in the WWI era, they were launched from underwater tubes. You really don’t want torpedoes on deck when people are shooting at you.
While that’s true, that doesn’t change the fact that deck-mounted torpedos have been around a long while. They aren’t restricted to a particular ship type, nor are we concerned with US ships only. Deck-mounted torpedos have been around since at least the early 1900s and WW1, we mostly remember them from WW2 being launched from PT boats.
Do they not launch torpedos underwater anymore?
Except for on submarines, where there isn’t a deck, deck-launched torpedoes have been normal for about as long as torpedoes have been used. It’s much more of a nuisance to do things underwater than above the surface, so unless you’ve got a good reason, like being a submarine, generally we don’t.
Back when battleships carried torpedoes (WWI era) they were generally launched from underwater tubes. TBF arming battleships with torpedoes was easily one of the worst ideas in military history. It accomplished absolutely nothing (as best I can remember, the only time battleships ever hit another ship with torpedoes was when the already-crippled Bismarck was being demolished by Rodney) and just added large, indivisible spaces prone to asymmetrical flooding as well as more stuff to explode when you’re hit yourself.
Does any benefit at all remain? What about stealth if they somehow have some kind of radar thing?
If you’re a boat that’s close enough to use a torpedo, they know you’re there.
The history of torpedoes is fun. The original ones were attached to a spar at the front of boats. The boat had a steam engine which they used to get up to speed to try to ambush and ram enemy capital ships. The threat these boats posed to capital ships gave rise to “torpoedo boat destroyers”, which we just call “destroyers” today.
The first kinds of torpedo boats that launched stand-alone torpedoes did use torpedo tubes, but they weren’t underwater. Underwater launching of torpedoes only started when torpedo boats evolved into U-boats (undersea boats, a.k.a. submarines). Destroyers remained torpedo boat destroyers, but now rather than hunting small, fast boats on the surface using small, fast guns, they hunted stealthy boats that were underwater with depth charges.
From submarines, sure. Not from ships. Ships launching torpedoes from tubes above water has been a thing for a really long time.
Back when battleships were armed with torpedoes in the WWI era, they were launched from underwater tubes. You really don’t want torpedoes on deck when people are shooting at you.
While that’s true, that doesn’t change the fact that deck-mounted torpedos have been around a long while. They aren’t restricted to a particular ship type, nor are we concerned with US ships only. Deck-mounted torpedos have been around since at least the early 1900s and WW1, we mostly remember them from WW2 being launched from PT boats.
subs do. helos drop air launched units like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_46_torpedo, and boats use things like ASROC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RUR-5_ASROC and surface torpedo tubes like the mk32 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_32_surface_vessel_torpedo_tubes