torpedo boat
Quick Summary
A torpedo boat is a small, fast boat specifically designed to launch torpedoes. These vessels saw renewed interest in the 1930s and were built in significant numbers by navies like Germany, Italy, Britain, and the U.S. for use in World War II. German "S-boats" and U.S. "PT boats" were examples, capable of speeds up to 40 knots and armed with torpedoes and guns. The development of the torpedo itself, a self-propelled underwater missile, began with Robert Whitehead in the 1860s. Early torpedo boats and the torpedo weapon itself greatly influenced warship design from the late 19th century through World War I.1234
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warshipTorpedo boatsIn the 1930s the German, Italian, British, and U.S. navies regained interest in motor torpedo boats, which had been largely discarded after World War I. All four navies built them in substantial numbers to fight in narrow seas during World War II. Against convoys in the English Channel and…
Read MoreIn the 1930s the German, Italian, British, and U.S. navies regained interest in motor torpedo boats, which had been largely discarded after World War I. All four navies built them in substantial numbers to fight in narrow seas during World War II. Against convoys in the English Channel and…
Read More
warshipArmour…balloons for observation), and the torpedo boat, one of several means the Confederates explored in trying to break the blockade. These little craft had weak steam engines and mounted a torpedo lashed to a spar projecting from the bow. Called Davids, they were weak but definite forerunners of the torpedo…
Read More…balloons for observation), and the torpedo boat, one of several means the Confederates explored in trying to break the blockade. These little craft had weak steam engines and mounted a torpedo lashed to a spar projecting from the bow. Called Davids, they were weak but definite forerunners of the torpedo…
Read More
warshipShips…the new self-propelled torpedo, the torpedo boat had great potential, particularly under conditions of low visibility. Small, unseaworthy, and useful only in restricted waters with the then-short-range, slow torpedoes, the new boats did not immediately live up to expectations; nevertheless, as craft and torpedo improved, they were soon regarded as…
Read More…the new self-propelled torpedo, the torpedo boat had great potential, particularly under conditions of low visibility. Small, unseaworthy, and useful only in restricted waters with the then-short-range, slow torpedoes, the new boats did not immediately live up to expectations; nevertheless, as craft and torpedo improved, they were soon regarded as…
Read More
warshipTorpedo boatsIn the 1930s the German, Italian, British, and U.S. navies regained interest in motor torpedo boats, which had been largely discarded after World War I. All four navies built them in substantial numbers to fight in narrow seas during World War II. Against…
Read MoreIn the 1930s the German, Italian, British, and U.S. navies regained interest in motor torpedo boats, which had been largely discarded after World War I. All four navies built them in substantial numbers to fight in narrow seas during World War II. Against…
Read More