In 1866, Whitehead invented the first effective self-propelled torpedo, the eponymous Whitehead torpedo, the first modern torpedo. French and German inventions followed closely, and the …

Torpedo, cigar-shaped, self-propelled underwater missile, launched from a submarine, surface vessel, or airplane and designed for exploding upon contact with the hulls of surface vessels …

Robert Whitehead’s Invention: The modern torpedo was pioneered by Robert Whitehead, an English engineer. In 1866, he developed the first self-propelled torpedo in Fiume (modern-day …

Jun 7, 2024 · Torpedo development was minimal during World War I. The Mk 7 was the first steam-driven torpedo that could be fired from both destroyers and submarines. The post …

Aug 20, 2025 · Few weapons in naval warfare have captured the imagination and shaped maritime strategy quite like the torpedo. From its humble beginnings as a crude, unreliable …

Torpedo comes to English by way of Latin torpēdō, which has two quite different meanings. It refers to a state of inertness, sluggishness, or lethargy, and it refers to a creature also known …

The development of Torpedo Mk 38, a 21-inch diameter, submarine-launched, antisurface ship torpedo with electric propulsion (primary battery) and active/passive acoustic homing, had …

Click diagram to enlarge. The Mark 48 torpedo is the standard torpedo on all U.S. submarines. First entering service in 1971, it is 19 feet (6 m) long, 21 inches (53 cm) in diameter, and …

The first practical torpedo was the Whitehead torpedo, invented in 1866. It was capable of carrying a 118 lb (54 kg) warhead 700 yards at 7 knots. The weapon attracted enough …

The Fish torpedo was the first torpedo tested at Newport in 1871. It was powered by a compressed air tank and was the first torpedo driven by a propeller. With a range of 200 yards, …