The Romance of War Inventions / A Description of Warships, Guns, Tanks, Rifles, Bombs, and Other Instruments and Munitions of Warfare, How They Were Invented & How They Are Employed

by Thomas W. Corbin

The range of the torpedo depends, clearly, upon the quantity of compressed air which it is able to carry and that is limited by certain practical considerations. One of these is the space required to store it, and a very ingenious method has been invented whereby the limited supply is eked out so that in effect its quantity is increased. As the air is used up the pressure in the air-chamber naturally falls and when that has gone on to a certain extent chemicals come into action which generate heat, whereby the remaining air is raised in temperature. This, of course, increases the volume of air and the result is just the same as if a greater quantity were carried to commence with.

The explosion is brought about by the pressing in of a pin which normally projects from the nose or point of the torpedo, and it would be very easy to knock this accidentally, causing a premature explosion, were not precautions taken to prevent it. These take the form of a little fan which is turned by the water as the torpedo proceeds through it. The firing-

pin is locked by means of a screw so that it cannot be operated until it has been released by the withdrawal of the screw and that can only be done by the fan. Thus, while on the submarine or whatever ship carries it, the torpedo cannot be fired: it only becomes capable of explosion after it has passed through the water for a certain distance, far enough, that is, for the fan to have undone the screw. Thus the maximum of safety is combined with the maximum of sensitiveness when the object aimed at is struck.

There are other forms of torpedo which although little used are by no means lacking in interest. There is the Brennan, for example, at one time much favoured in the British Navy. Its propellers were operated from the shore, by the pulling of two very flexible steel wires. The effect was much as if the thing were driven by reins, as a horse is driven. On shore was a powerful engine with two large drums on which the wires could be wound and by which they could be drawn in at a very high speed. By pulling one more than the other the torpedo could be steered and it is said that such a torpedo could be made to follow a ship through complicated evolutions and fairly hunt it down, finally overtaking and striking it.

The purpose of such weapons was clearly to defend a port or roadstead against enemy craft which might try to rush in. It needed to be controlled by someone perched upon an eminence of some sort from which he could watch its course and guide it as might be necessary.

Compare this with the ease with which the Whitehead torpedo is just slipped into the water and then left to itself. A submarine has in its bows either one or two tubes just large enough to hold the torpedo easily. At the front is a flap door which is kept closed while the torpedo is slipped into its place. Then the similar door at the rear of the tube is closed after which the front one can be opened. Water of course flows in and surrounds the torpedo when this takes place and a little push from some compressed air sends it floating out. As it emerges from the tube the engines are set going automatically and likewise the gyroscope which steers it, after which it continues to proceed in a straight line, soon seeking and maintaining the desired depth.

Other vessels besides submarines have submerged torpedo-tubes like these, but others again have tubes of a different kind. These are fixed on the deck and have the advantage that they can be pointed in any direction almost like a gun, whereas the others are either fixed rigidly in the vessel or are only slightly movable. In the case of these other tubes the torpedo is shot over the side of the ship, off which it leaps into the water somewhat like a man diving.

One other kind of steerable torpedo may be mentioned because of its ingenuity, although so far as is known it is not in actual use. It is called the Armorl, a compound of the names of its inventors, Messrs. Armstrong and Orling. It is controlled by wireless telegraphy in a very simple but effective manner.

The rudder which steers it is connected to a small crank in such a way that as the crank revolves it turns the "helm" first to one side and then to the other. Suppose that, to commence with, the rudder is straight: a quarter of a revolution of the crank sets it to one side, say, the right: another quarter sets it straight again: a third quarter sets it to the left: and so on. The crank is turned by a wound-up spring, the effect of which is, however, normally held in check by a catch. When a wireless impulse comes along the catch is lifted for a moment, the crank slips round a quarter of a turn and the rudder is moved accordingly. Every impulse changes the position of the rudder and by sending suitable series of impulses it can be set as desired and changed at any moment.