Whitehead Mark 1 torpedo

Whitehead Mark 1 torpedo
Whitehead torpedo mechanism, published 1891
Type	Anti-surface ship torpedo[1]
Place of origin	Austria-Hungary
Service history
In service	1894–1913[1]
Used by	United States Navy[2]
Production history
Designer	Robert Whitehead
Designed	1892[1]
Manufacturer	Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co.[3] E. W. Bliss Company
No. built	100[4]
Variants	Whitehead Mk 1B[5]
Specifications
Mass	845 pounds[6]
Length	140 inches (3.55 meters)[6]
Diameter	17.7 inches (45 centimeters)[6]
Effective firing range	800 yards[1]
Warhead	wet guncotton[6]
Warhead weight	118.5 lbs[6]
Detonation mechanism	War Nose Mk 1 contact exploder[1]
Engine	3-cylinder reciprocating
Maximum speed	26.5 knots[1]
Guidance system	depth control[1]
Launch platform	battleships, cruisers, and torpedo boats[1]

The Whitehead Mark 1 torpedo was the first Whitehead torpedo adopted by the United States Navy for use in an anti-surface ship role after the E. W. Bliss Company of Brooklyn, New York secured manufacturing rights in 1892. The US Navy made an initial acquisition of 100 Mark 1s, which, by the time they entered American service, were faster, had longer range and carried a larger warhead than Robert Whitehead's earlier models.^[2]