MOVING TORPEDOES are (1) controlled or (2) uncontrolled. The controlled type are (1) spar, (2) towing, or (3) dirigible—the last-named class being either (1) extra-mobile or locomotive or (2) automobile. The uncontrolled type in cludes (1) automobile, (2) projectile, (3) rocket, and (4) d-rifting torpedoes.
Authorities do not favor greatly controlled tor pedoes. In the spar type of these weapons the charge was placed at the end of a spar rigged out from a boat or ship, and torpedoes of this sort were much used in the Civil War; the rapid fire gun sounded their death-knell. The Harvey towing torpedo (and its modifications) was towed in a spar at the end of a hawser, its shape and steering vanes keeping it well out on the quarter of the ship using it. Its defects arc ap parent and it is obsolete. The extra-mobile or locomotive torpedo has an external source of pow er supplied through wires which are also used in carrying the steering force. Some few of these are still 'officially' in service, such as the Brennan, and Sims-Edison, but they are not much in favor. The Brennan is propelled by two wires which are reeled up in the torpedo. By hauling on them they unreel and rotate twin screws. Steering is effected by varying the tension on the port or starboard wire. The Sims-Edison torpedo is pro pelled and steered by electricity from an external source which is supplied to the torpedo through a wire cable which is unreeled as the torpedo advances. The automobile controllable torpedoes, of which there were many varieties, carried their own source of power. which was usually com pressed air or carbonic acid gas, and were all electrically steered, the current passing through a light cable which was unreeled as the torpedo moved ahead.
are identical in general design and similar as re gards details, though the body of the Whitehead has a steel shell or outer ease, while that of the Schwartzkopf is made of bronze. The details of a Whitehead torpedo are shown in the accom panying plans. In Fig. I, A is the war-nose; B is the war-head (an exercise head without explosive charge or war-nose is used in ordinary torpedo target practice ) ; C is the air•-flask con taining the compressed air—its shell is thicker than that of the rest of the torpedo; P is the guide stud for holding the torpedo in position in the tube; Q is a strengthening band to sup port the guide stud ; V is the balance chamber ; F is the engine compartment ; C is the tail; H is the tail-frame; I is the firing-pin; 2 is one blade of the releasing screw. B, the brar-hcad, contains the
explosive charge, 3, of wet guncotton, while 4 is a small priming charge of dry guncotton in a her metically sealed case inserted in the front end of the war-head before screwing in the war-nose. In Fig. 2, 6 and S are the charging and stop valves for charging the torpedo; T is the depth regu lator which connects by the bell-crank lever M to the regulator spring, which is pressed by the hy draulic piston, 16; the hydraulic piston receives The projectile type of uncontrollable torpedoes is fired from a submarine gun (q.v.). It has never proved satisfactory as a weapon, but it received its most successful development at the hands of Ericsson, who was able to give it a reliable range of about 150 yards. The short range of the submarine gun was its fatal defect and caused its condemnation. Rocket torpedoes have usually been fitted to move along the surface of the water, the propelling force being the reac tion from the gas escaping from the rear end. As they are very erratic in their movements when the water is smooth and cannot be used at all when it is rough, they have never had much vogue. Submerged torpedoes propelled by rocket tubes have been even less successful; they lack the speed of the surface type and are nearly as erratic as regards their course. Drifting tor pedoes are merely self-acting buoyant mines set adrift.
the water-pressure on its after side as the en gine-room (F) is open to the sea; the hydraulic piston operates small levers pressing against a lever pivoted on the pendulum (17), and the motion is transmitted through the rod N to a. crank and thence to the steering engine (18), which operates horizontal rudders (not shown) by means of the red 24; D is the operating valve group which controls the supply of air to the engine, W; 10 is the starting lever; E is the re leasing mechanism; K is the Obry gear, in which 20 is the gyroscope wheel; 13 and 14 are the propellers; 15 is the bevel gear, which permits the two propellers to be driven in opposite direc tions; and 22 are the rudders actuated by the Obry gear. This latter by means of its gyro scope wheel (which always keeps in one plane) operates the little rudders (22) and brings the torpedo back to its original direction if it is. deflected from any cause.