How were torpedoes loaded into the boat?

Torpedoes were loaded through the torpedo loading hatch. At the USS Pampanito Museum, there is an example of the hatch on the pier, close to the beginning of the pier, up against the building. These hatches were cut out of the boat when the structures and stairs were installed for the museum entrances and exits. This was the strategy for nearly all WW2 museum submarines. The USS Cod (SS-224) Museum in Cleveland is an exception.

A torpedo was brought over to the submarine on a crane. It was balanced on a strap and it was lowered down to a short rack in front of the loading hatch. A safety cap was on the front of the torpedo with lines attached. The lines would be wrapped around a capstan, a spool shaped device. The capstan would be rotated until it took the weight of the weapon. Then the crane and strap would be released from the torpedo. The capstan would be rotated in the other direction to allow the torpedo to be lowered slowly through the hatch and into the boat.

Meanwhile, in the torpedo room, the empty skid was moved to the middle of the room to line up with the loading hatch. Then the end of the empty skid nearest the hatch would be raised up to meet the incoming weapon. This was accomplished using the chain falls, the pulley-like device that can be seen in the torpedo rooms. Once the torpedo had been loaded onto the skid, it was strapped into place, and the skid was lowered to level. Now the skid could be moved side-to-side to its final location. This only loads the torpedo into the boat. It may still need to be loaded into a tube.

This was a slow and careful process, as would be expected. Remember, the torpedo weighs 3,000 pounds or more and has at least 600 pounds of explosive at the front.