Original Item: One-Of-A-Kind. This is a lovely spun aluminum miniature trench art model of the US Navy’s Mark 14 Anti-Ship Torpedo used during the Second World War. The construction appears to be mostly aluminum with a brass tip and steel threading on the base connecting the tail fins.

This 24” work of art appears to have been a part of some sort of desktop display and has threaded holes on the front and back, possibly for a stand. The most notable feature is the ship's “fisherman’s” anchor with a bent stock and chain. The fisherman is a traditional design and is often seen on the bow of old Sailing Ships like HMS Victory. The design is a non-burying type, and grabs rocks with one arm penetrating the seabed and the other standing proud. It has a good reputation for use in rock, kelp, and grass, but is unlikely to be any more effective than a good modern design and its holding power to weight ratio is among the worst of all anchor types.

The torpedo appears to only be missing the tail prop, but other than that, this is a truly one of a kind lovely example of WWII trench art! Comes ready to display!

Mark 14 Torpedo
The Mark 14 torpedo was the United States Navy's standard submarine-launched anti-ship torpedo of World War II. This weapon was plagued with many problems which crippled its performance early in the war. It was supplemented by the Mark 18 electric torpedo in the last two years of the war. From December 1941 to November 1943 the Mark 14 and the destroyer-launched Mark 15 torpedo had numerous technical problems that took almost two years to fix. After the fix the Mark 14 played a major role in the devastating blow U.S. Navy submarines dealt to the Japanese naval and merchant marine forces during the Pacific War.

By the end of World War II, the Mark 14 torpedo was a reliable weapon ultimately remaining in service for almost 40 years in the U.S. Navy, and even longer with other navies.