The American government have up to the present time not sanctioned the purchase of the costly Whitehead torpedo, preferring their own locomotive torpedo, which will be fully described further on. On a government purchasing the fish torpedo, a certain number of their naval or military officers are sent to Fiume in Austria, where Mr. R. Whitehead's manufactories are situated, and where the necessary very exhaustive experiments with his torpedoes are carried out, and are there thoroughly instructed in the manipulation of these machines, and are also supplied with a double set of drawings of the various parts of the torpedo. These officers, and all others whom it may be necessary to initiate into the mysteries of the Whitehead secret, are bound on their honour not to divulge it.
Employment of Fish Torpedoes in War.—The fish torpedo has been employed on actual service on three known occasions only, in two of which it failed to fulfil its deadly mission.
On the 29th of May, 1877, a Whitehead fish torpedo was fired by H.M.S. Shah against the Peruvian ironclad Huascar, but failed to strike her, owing to the latter vessel altering her course at the moment of the torpedo being discharged. The next instance of the employment of the Whitehead torpedo was that one mentioned at [page 132]. The last and only successful attempt yet made occurred on the 26th of January, 1878, when the Russian steamer Constantine fired a Whitehead torpedo against a Turkish guard vessel off the harbour of Batoum, and completely destroyed her.
Description of Torpedo.—A general view of the Whitehead fish torpedo is shown at [Fig. 119]. It is divided into three parts, connected together by screws.
1.—The charge chamber.
2.—The adjustment chamber, in which is placed what is known as the secret.
3.—The air and engine chamber.
Vertical and horizontal steel fins are fitted for the purpose of maintaining the torpedo in an upright position whilst passing through the discharge tube, or frame; the former fins run nearly the whole length of the weapon, while the latter are considerably shorter. The motive power of the torpedo is compressed air, forced by means of a powerful steam air compressing pump into a portion of the steel chamber (3) at a tension of upwards of 1000 pounds to the square inch, which is equivalent to about sixty atmospheres, and which by means of a set of small three cylinder Brotherhood engines, contained in the steel chamber (3), drives two screw propellers. These engines are capable of exerting a force of forty indicated horses, and yet only weigh about thirty-five pounds, from which it will be understood that to attain these results the workmanship and materials employed in their manufacture are of the very highest order and fineness.
The torpedo is made of various sizes, ranging from 14' long and 14" maximum diameter to 19' long and 16" maximum diameter.
Capabilities of the Fish Torpedo.—The capabilities of the fish torpedo are as follows:—