Chapter I: Preface

IN the following pages the Author has endeavoured to supply a want, viz. a comprehensive work on Torpedo Warfare, brought down to the latest date.

The information has been obtained while practically engaged in torpedo work at home and abroad, and from the study of the principal books which have already appeared on the subject, and to the authors of which he would now beg to express his acknowledgments, viz.: "Submarine Warfare," by Lieut.-Commander Barnes, U.S.N.; "Notes on Torpedoes," by Major Stotherd, R.E.; "Art of War in Europe," by General Delafield, U.S.A.; "Life of Fulton," by C. D. Colden; "Torpedo War," by R. Fulton; "Armsmear," by H. Barnard; "Treatise on Coast Defence," by Colonel Von Scheliha; Professional Papers of the Royal Engineers; "The Engineering"; "The Engineer"; "Scientific American"; "Iron"; &c., &c.

The Author is also desirous of thanking the following gentlemen, to whom he is indebted for much of the valuable information contained herein:--

Messrs. Siemens Brothers, Messrs. Thornycroft and Co., Messrs. Yarrow and Co., Captain C. A. McEvoy, 18 Adam Street, W.C., Mr. L. Lay, Messrs. J. Vavaseur and Co.

LONDON, 1879.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Preface iii

CHAPTER I.

The early History of the Torpedo--Remarks on the existing
State of Torpedo Warfare 1

CHAPTER II.

Defensive Torpedo Warfare--Mechanical Submarine
Mines--Mechanical Fuzes--Mooring Mechanical Mines 13

CHAPTER III.

Defensive Torpedo Warfare (_continued_)--Electrical
Submarine Mines--Electrical Fuzes--Insulated Electric
Cables--Electric Cable Joints--Junction Boxes--Mooring
Electrical Submarine Mines 27

CHAPTER IV.

Defensive Torpedo Warfare (_continued_)--Circuit
Closers--Firing by Observation--Voltaic
Batteries--Electrical Machines--Firing Keys and Shutter
Apparatus--Testing Submarine Mines--Clearing a Passage
through Torpedo Defences 60

CHAPTER V.

Offensive Torpedo Warfare--Drifting Torpedoes--Towing
Torpedoes--Locomotive Torpedoes--Spar Torpedoes--General
Remarks on Offensive Torpedoes 115

CHAPTER VI.

Torpedo Vessels and Boats--The _Uhlan_--The _Alarm_--The
_Destroyer_--Thornycroft's Torpedo Boats--Yarrow's
Torpedo Boats--Schibau's Torpedo Boats--Herreshoff's
Torpedo Boats--Torpedo Boat Attacks--Submarine Boats 158

CHAPTER VII.

Torpedo Operations--The Crimean War (1854-56)--The
Austro-Italian War (1859)--The American Civil War
(1861-65)--The Paraguayan War (1864-68)--The Austrian
War (1866)--The Franco-German War (1870-71)--The
Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) 187

CHAPTER VIII.

On Explosives--Definitions--Experiments--Gunpowder--Picric
Powder--Nitro-Glycerine--Dynamite--Gun-cotton--Fulminate
of Mercury--Dualin--Lithofracteur--Horsley's
Powder--Torpedo Explosive Agents--Torpedo Explosions 204

CHAPTER IX.

Torpedo Experiments--Chatham, England,
1865--Austria--Carlscrona, Sweden, 1868--Kiel,
Prussia--England, 1874--Copenhagen, Denmark,
1874--Carlscrona, Sweden, 1874-75--Portsmouth, England,
1874-75--Pola, Austria, 1875--Portsmouth, England,
1876--Experiments with Countermines--The Medway, England,
1870--Stokes Bay, England, 1873--Carlscrona, Sweden, 1874 220

CHAPTER X.

The Electric Light--The Nordenfelt and Hotchkiss Torpedo
Guns--Diving 239

CHAPTER XI.

Electricity 265