Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare / Containing a Complete and Concise Account of the Rise and Progress of Submarine Warfare

by Charles William Sleeman

The current from the battery at the firing point then passes to earth through the resistances in all of the torpedoes. If now any one or other of the torpedoes is struck by a passing vessel and the wire from its fuze put directly to earth, so that the current passes freely to earth instead of having first to pass through the resistance, the fact of the current passing freely to earth is notified at the firing point by the movement of the needle of a galvanometer d; the movement of the needle of this galvanometer effects an electrical connection by which a small battery is caused to sound a bell at c. The operator at the firing point can then if he pleases at once fire the torpedo that has been struck by moving a handle at f and coupling up to the wire of the cable a battery of greater strength; the strong firing current will pass to earth through the fuze of the torpedo that has been struck, and will ignite this fuze, but will not affect the fuzes of the other torpedoes, as to pass through these fuzes it has also to pass through resistances which impede its passage and reduce its strength, so that the portion of the current which passes to earth through them is not of sufficient strength to ignite the fuzes.

When the fuze of any one or other of the torpedoes is exploded by the passing of a strong firing current through it, the wire leading from the box C to this torpedo is simultaneously cut off from electrical connection with the contact pin E to which it was previously connected, and this pin is put to earth through a resistance either somewhat greater or less than the resistances in the torpedoes, so that the firing of one or more of the torpedoes does not interfere with the power of being able to turn the pointer F of the apparatus C in unison with the pointer of the dial b.

Afterwards the operator at the firing point can ascertain which of the torpedoes has been fired by passing the pointer of the dial b to each of the divisions of the dial in succession, and ascertaining by the galvanometer a the resistance of the circuit through each of the torpedoes, so that he at once ascertains which torpedo has been put to earth through the greater or less resistance.

The cutting off of the wire D from its contact E when a strong current is passed through it may be effected by the wire being coiled around an iron core forming an electro magnet, which when a strong current is passed through the wire is of sufficient strength to shift the position of a contact apparatus and then effect the required alterations in the connections, but which is not of sufficient strength to effect any change when the weaker currents used for the signalling and testing operations are passed through the wire.

It will be evident that with the above described apparatus any one or other of the torpedoes can if desired be exploded by the operator at the firing point whenever he desires to do so. To effect this he would by turning the handle a bring the pointer of the dial b opposite to the division of this dial; that would indicate that the cable had been brought into electrical communication with the torpedo required to be exploded, and then when it is ascertained by previously adjusted sight points that the vessel is above the torpedo, he can fire the torpedo by passing a strong firing current to the cable.

In this way the apparatus can be used for firing any one or other of a group of sunken torpedoes, or if the torpedoes are buoyant ones, they need not be fitted with apparatus for putting the wire from their fuze directly to earth whenever the torpedo is struck by a passing vessel. The same arrangement of apparatus can also be used for firing any one or other of a number of mines or torpedoes on land and for separately testing the firing mechanism of each mine whenever desired.

Captain McEvoy's single main system will shortly undergo a series of experiments under the supervision of the English torpedo authorities at Chatham, which will most probably result in its adoption by the English government, and also by the principal continental powers.

TABLE[Y]
showing the value of the fractions A and B for every half degree.