MTB 74's raised torpedo arrangement was conceived for protected targets such as Scharnhorst and Gneisenau behind torpedo nets. The boat's commanding officer proposed the modification, and each 18-inch weapon carried 1,800 pounds of explosive. The torpedoes were intended to jump the barrier, reach the seabed beneath a moored target, and wait on delayed-action fuzes. Detonation under the hull would exploit the water-hammer effect to break the ship's back instead of relying on a conventional side impact. The design adapted a coastal craft to one tightly defined operational obstacle.
Notable Point · 30:54-34:20
MTB 74 and torpedoes designed to clear nets
MTB 74 carried unusual bow-mounted 18-inch torpedoes intended to be launched over defensive nets, adapting a small craft for attacks on protected heavy ships.