At roughly 1,000 tons surfaced and 1,300 tons submerged, the Whiskey carried four bow and two stern 21-inch torpedo tubes. Its load could be 12 torpedoes or 22 mines. Mines offered a way to attack traffic indirectly: a submarine could lay a field across a likely convoy route and withdraw before escorts arrived. It could also mine the fastest route from an enemy fleet base toward an expected operation, creating danger without stationing a boat visibly outside the base. The example shows how submarines shape fleet and merchant movement as well as launch direct torpedo attacks.
Notable Point · 13:26-15:15
Whiskey-class torpedoes and the mining option
The Whiskey's torpedo and mine capacity illustrates how a conventional submarine could threaten operations without attacking a convoy directly.