MODERN TORPEDO

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 134, 9 June 1942, Page 4

MODERN TORPEDO

AND ITS ORIGIN

HOW IT OPERATES

The modern torpedo is the perfected development of nearly eighty years. Its archetype was the Whitehead torpedo of 1864, designed by a Scottish engineer, Robert Whitehead, then manager of an engineering works at Fiume in the Adriatic, from sketch plans submitted by Captain Luppis of the Austrian Navy. The general principles of the Whitehead torpedo have been followed since and designs of different nations vary only in detail. The torpedo is a long cigar-shaped creation of steel, usually 21in in diameter and 21ft in length, weighing about 30001b and carrying 6001b of high explosive in its ' warhead." The propelling agent is aitcompressed to 28001b to the square inch, fortified by super-heated steam. The air is carried in a chamber aft of the "warhead." Behind that are fuel and water containers and lubricant. Aft again is the "engine-room" with a high-speed engine driving twin propellers running concentrically in opposite directions. A single propeller would make the torpedo itself revolve. There are two sets of rudders, one for direction and one for depth. The movements of the torpedo are controlled automatically by ingenious devices so that it can travel under water for miles without deviating from its set course or depth. If it misses the target it runs some further distance and then sinks.

From submarines and underwater tubes of surface ships the launching is done by a blast of compressed air. From deck tubes the torpedo is helped overboard by a small explosive charge. From aircraft the torpedo is simply dropped. The moment of the launching the torpedo becomes alive. Fuel is turned on anil ignited automatically. Water sprayed on the flames turns to steam, and this mixed with the compressed air feces the engine, which, developing -100 horse-power, speeds ;he torpedo at nearly a mile a minute. The course, direction and depth, have already been set, and a gyroscope acts as pilot to keep the "tin fish," as the sailors call it, on its fixed course. The depth is maintained at set level —usually 15ft below the surface— by means of a sensitive hydrostat operating, through a small steering engine, horizontal tail rudders. The modern torpedo leaves almost no betraying wake. The steam and hot air are exhausted through the hollow shaft, and contact with the cold sea causes condensation of most of the vapour.