The First Sonar-Guided Torpedo Aiming System

For decades, the periscope was the indispensable, yet dangerously revealing, tool of the submarine commander. This historical documentary explores the groundbreaking German WWII innovation that forever changed underwater warfare: the world's first integration of passive sonar with a torpedo fire control computer.
We analyze how German engineers, seeking to eliminate the risk of periscope exposure, ingeniously linked their advanced "Balkon-Gerät" hydrophone system directly to the Torpedo Data Computer (TDC). This revolutionary leap allowed U-boat captains, for the first time in history, to conduct entire torpedo attacks—from detection and tracking to firing—using only acoustic data, without ever rising to periscope depth.
Discover the technical details of this system, how it provided cleaner sonar signals, and its profound legacy. This German concept was so effective that it was immediately adopted by the US Navy and Royal Navy post-war, forming the fundamental basis for all modern submarine fire control systems. This is the story of the moment the submarine truly became a silent, invisible hunter.

Видео The First Sonar-Guided Torpedo Aiming System канала Military History Stories