Two-way pressure release valves in a shutter reduce the force needed to
rotate it from a torpedo tube while the submarine is underway at high
speeds. The valves are each mounted in a separate aperture in the shutter
and have a pair of biasing springs that hold opposite end surfaces
coplanar with outer and inner surfaces of the shutter to prevent
generation of objectionable flow-noise while underway. When the shutter is
rotated to expose a muzzle door of a torpedo tube, the valves are
automatically displaced by pressure differentials created to free pathways
for pressure equalization. The water flowing through the valves eliminates
the pressure differentials, and consequently, reduces the total amount of
force that would otherwise be needed to rotate the shutter.