| Whitehead Mark 5 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-surface ship torpedo[1] |
| Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1910–1922[1] |
| Used by | United States Navy[2] |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Robert Whitehead |
| Designed | 1901[1] |
| Manufacturer | Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co.[3] Naval Torpedo Station[1] Vickers Limited |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1452 pounds[1] |
| Length | 204 inches (5.18 meters)[1] |
| Diameter | 17.7 inches (45 centimeters)[1] |
| Effective firing range | 1000–4000 yards[1] |
| Warhead | wet guncotton[1] |
| Warhead weight | 200 pounds[1] |
Detonation mechanism | War Nose Mk 5 contact exploder[1] |
| Engine | 4-cylinder reciprocating[1] |
| Maximum speed | 27–40 knots[1] |
Guidance system | gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | battleships, torpedo boats and submarines[1] |
The Whitehead Mark 5 torpedo was a Whitehead torpedo adopted by the United States Navy for use in an anti-surface ship role in 1910. The Mark 5 was the first torpedo to be manufactured by a foreign company, the Whitehead facility in the United Kingdom,[4] and in 1908, by the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island. It was also the first torpedo to allow the firing ship to vary the torpedo's speed and range.[2]