Whitehead Mark 2 torpedo

Whitehead Mark 2 torpedo
Whitehead torpedo mechanism, published 1891
Type	Anti-surface ship torpedo[1]
Place of origin	Austria-Hungary
Service history
In service	1896–1913[1]
Used by	United States Navy[2]
Production history
Designer	Robert Whitehead
Designed	1893[1]
Manufacturer	Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co.[3] E. W. Bliss Company
Variants	Whitehead Mk 2 (Type C)[4]
Specifications
Weight	845 pounds[1]
Length	140 inches (3.55 meters)[1]
Diameter	17.7 inches (45 centimeters)[1]
Effective firing range	800 yards[1]
Warhead	wet guncotton[1]
Warhead weight	118 lbs[1]
Detonation mechanism	War Nose Mk 1 contact exploder[1]
Engine	3-cylinder reciprocating
Speed	27 knots[1]
Guidance system	depth control[1]
Launch platform	battleships and torpedo boats[1]

The Whitehead Mark 2 torpedo^[4] was a Whitehead torpedo adopted by the United States Navy for use in an anti-surface ship role after the E. W. Bliss Company of Brooklyn, New York secured manufacturing rights in 1892.^[2] It was identical to the Whitehead Mark 1 torpedo, except for some mechanical details.^[1]

Characteristics

The Mark 2 was ordinarily assembled into three sections: the warhead, the air flask and the after-body. The warhead's charge of wet guncotton weighed 118 pounds. The Mark 2 was what was known as a "cold-running" torpedo.^[1] The three-cylinder reciprocating engine ran on cold, compressed air which was stored in the air flask, which had a capacity of 7.154 cubic feet at 1350 pounds per square inch. The after-body carried the engine and the tail, which contained the propellers.^[5]

The Mark 2 guidance component included the Pendulum-and-hydrostat control device which was called the "Whitehead Secret". This version of the Whitehead torpedo lacked the gyroscope gear designed by Ludwig Obry, which was incorporated in another Whitehead model, the Mark 3.

The Mark 2 was launched from battleships and torpedo boats.

References