A MARVELLOUS TORPEDO.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 38, 18 May 1917, Page 4

A MARVELLOUS TORPEDO.

SURPRISE PACKET FOR GERMANY It is just possible that Germany may find the American navy a staggering surprise packet (says the _ euginoring correspondent of an English paper). In fact they may find its preparedness and devastating powers no less astonishing than were those of the “tanks.” devastating powers no less astonishing than were those of the “tanks.”

It is hinted by those who should know that in the United States Naval Consulting Board, which is under the chairmanship of Mr Thomas Edison, the inventer, lies perhaps the most powerful weapon of warfare to-day. Moreover, according to one of the foremost American publicists, “the work already done by this board and the Naval Department will greatly decrease the submarine menace. Only a few mouths ago Mr Edison told me there was no good reason why a vessel on the high seas should not be warned mechanically and antimatically of the approach of a submarine.” There is certainly great possibility in the wireless controlled torpedo and boat of Mr John Hammond, junr., a young American inveuter. Considerably over a year ago it was known that the United States Government, fully convinced of the efficiency of this invention as a destructive agency, was in treaty for its sole use. Indeed, matters had so far progressed that the actual terms of exclusive’ use were under consideration.

What this wireless dynamic torpedo means is that you can take charge of high explosives —up to one ton in weight—or a projectile, and deliver it under constant control from an aeroplane. another ship, or the shore, at any target as offered by a ship, destroyer, or oven submarine. The torpedo, as described by Mr Hammond, is available in two types—one to be used above water, traveling at 50 miles an hour, and the other a submerged type. Concerning the latter, it is entirely submerged, except for a short wireless mast virtually immune from gun-fire, and the havoc it can work on enemy submarines may be guessed from its speed of 28 miles an hour. Further, it is claimed that the surface typo can actually travel as fast as to be safe from destructive gunshot. • What the immense possibilities of this new war weapon are may be summarised as follows: It can be steered by wireless in any direction. Its engines (two 500 h.p. gasoline motors) can be started, stopped, and controlled at various ’speeds by wireless. It is more accurate, in the opinion of army exports, than the tiro of big guns. While it can bo operated against an enemy by a single man, whoso sole instruments are a telescope and an electric key, it cannot be interfered with by a diverse wireless wave, because it is controlled by a system of selective transmission. It might accidentally happen that the wave-lengths controlling were discovered by an enemy, but that wave length can be actually changed while the torpedo is in sight. More wonderful still—and approaching human qualities —its inventor claims that if an enemy attempts to interfere with it by wireless, it possesses the faculty of pointing immediately in the direction of that enemy, and making directly for him.

There are other qualities, too, inherent in this truly epoch-making invention. It can be'operated by night and day alike, being subject to accurate control by an arrangement of tiny lights, so shielded as to be visible only to the operator. Moreover, it carries a searchlight of its own, which may be switched on and oil by wireless. As regards range, the surface type as a cruiser, has a cruising radius of 200 miles at 50 miles an hour. Then either typo can bo guided 200 miles to sea by an aeroplane, and launched against the enemy at the end of the run. Its further havoc spreading abilities arc summed up in its power of a double attack. Thus it carries a torpedo which, when the destroyer or submarine is in striking distance, can be launched by wireless. If the torpedo strikes, the destroyer—submerged or surface type alike —can be turned around by'wireless and sent home. And if the torpedo misses, the destroyer, which carries an additional half-ton of high explosives, can bo sent on to retrieve the error, in which acse, of course, it is itself destroyed upon impact.