An old engraving of Harvey’s Torpedo being used. It is from a Victorian book of the 1890s on discoveries and inventions during the 1800s. The Harvey Torpedo was invented Britain in the late 1860s by Frederick Harvey and John Harvey. The torpedo involved an explosive charge attached to a line with buoys and winches. Here the ship is moving forwards. The mine’s towing lines are controlled on deck. The torpedo is pulled to the surface to be detonated at its target, the ship (left) – an improvement on existing designs where a mine was suspended on a spar over the bow of a ship.
An old engraving of Harvey’s Torpedo being used. It is from a Victorian book of the 1890s on discoveries and inventions during the 1800s. The Harvey Torpedo was invented Britain in the late 1860s by Frederick Harvey and his uncle Captain John Harvey. The torpedo or mine was an improvement on existing designs where it was suspended on a spar over the bow of the boat. The Harvey torpedo involved an explosive charge attached to a line that, using buoys, lines and winches, was projected away from the boat that carried it, making it far less dangerous to detonate. Here the ship is moving forwards with a mine’s towing lines controlled on deck. The torpedo will be pulled to the surface to be detonated at its target – the ship on the left. Two more Harvey Torpedoes lie on the deck awaiting being deployed. After spending more than twenty years trying to gain official recognition for his invention, a Royal Navy order was agreed. However, the government insisted that Harvey Torpedoes were manufactured at their Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. The torpedoes went into service briefly in the 1870s.
Size: 3307px × 2407px
Location: UK
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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