| Whitehead torpedo | |
|---|---|
 Whitehead torpedo mechanism, published 1891 | |
| Type | Anti-surface ship torpedo[1] |
| Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1894–1922 (Mk1 and Mk2) 1898–1940 (Mk3) 1910–1922 (Mk5)
|
| Used by | See § Operators |
| Wars | Russo-Turkish War[2] Chilean Civil War of 1891[3] World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Robert Whitehead |
| Designed | 1866[4] |
| Manufacturer | Stabilimento tecnico Fiumano[5] Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co.[5] Royal Laboratories E. W. Bliss Company |
| Variants | Whitehead Mk 1[6] Whitehead Mk 1B[6] Whitehead Mk 2[6] Whitehead Mk 2 Type C[6] Whitehead Mk 3 Type A[6] Whitehead Mk 5[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 845 lbs (Mk 1)[1] |
| Length | 140 inches (360 cm) (Mk 1)[1] |
| Diameter | 17.7 inches (45 cm) (Mk 1)[1] |
| Effective firing range | 800 yards (730 m) (Mk 1)[1] |
| Warhead | wet guncotton[1] |
| Warhead weight | 118 lb (54 kg) (Mk 1)[1] |
Detonation mechanism | War Nose (Mk 1), contact[1] |
| Engine | 3-cylinder reciprocating[1] |
| Maximum speed | 26.5 knots (49.1 km/h) (Mk 1)[1] |
Guidance system | depth control, gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | battleships, torpedo boats and submarines[1] |
The Whitehead torpedo was the first self-propelled or "locomotive" torpedo ever developed.[a] It was perfected in 1866 by British engineer Robert Whitehead from a rough design conceived by Giovanni Luppis of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in Fiume.[7] It was driven by a three-cylinder compressed-air engine invented, designed, and made by Peter Brotherhood. Many naval services procured the Whitehead torpedo during the 1870s, including the US Navy.[8] This early torpedo proved itself in combat during the Russo-Turkish War when, on 16 January 1878, the Ottoman ship Intibah was sunk by Russian torpedo boats carrying Whiteheads,[2] though this story has been disputed in one book.[9]
The term "torpedo" comes from the torpedo fish, which is a type of ray that delivers an electric shock to stun its prey.[4]
- ^ a b Delgado, James P. (2011). Silent Killers: Submarines and Underwater Warfare. Osprey Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-84908-365-2.
- ^ Newpower, Anthony (2006). Iron Men And Tin Fish: The Race to Build a Better Torpedo During World War II. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 15. ISBN 0-275-99032-X. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
curatorwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Chronology: Torpedo in Word and Picture". Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Silverstone, Paul (2006). The New Navy, 1883-1922. Taylor & Francis Group. pp. xxiii. ISBN 0-415-97871-8. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ Gray, Edwyn (1991). The Devil's Device: Robert Whitehead and the History of the Torpedo. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 310. ISBN 0-87021-245-1.
- ^ Robert Stem (18 September 2008). Destroyer Battles: Epics of Naval Close Combat. Pen and Sword. pp. 18–19. ISBN 9781473813564. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).