19th Century Whitehead Torpedo deployment mechanisms

Avimimus

Avimimus

ACCESS: Top Secret
Joined
15 December 2007
Messages
2,600
Reaction score
1,259
I figured we could do with a thread for this.

Drzewiecki drop collars?
Above water torpedo mechanisms on battleships?
Torpedo turrets?
Whatever the 'rotary torpedo launcher' trialed on Milan (1884) was?

There is a lot here to discuss/understand with regard to technical development that differs from the 20th century.
 
So about Milan: What was this rotary torpedo launcher? Anyone know?
 
I am suspecting that it just refers to torpedo tubes which can be rotated (rather than being fixed and requiring turning the whole ship). In any case, it would be interesting to find out why it didn't work given that a lot of other French ships eventually carried them.
 
Avimimus said:
am suspecting that it just refers to torpedo tubes which can be rotated (rather than being fixed and requiring turning the whole ship). In any case, it would be interesting to find out why it didn't work given that a lot of other French ships eventually carried them.
Click to expand...
A pure speculation - it might be some kind of trainable underwater torpedo tube, under the ship's keel.
 
Dilandu said:
A pure speculation - it might be some kind of trainable underwater torpedo tube, under the ship's keel.
Click to expand...

In the 20th century they did eventually develop rotatable torpedo tubes that could be fired underwater (e.g. Surcouf had them), and there were also trainable underwater torpedo tubes on many ships (the torpedo could be moved within the ship so it would launch at a slightly different angle through the opening).

Around the turn of the century some Drzewiecki drop collars allowed externally mounted torpedoes to be aimed.

However, I strongly suspect this is an above water system - as many French torpedo cruisers and battleships seemed to have above water torpedo tubes in this era.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom