Explosion of a trial underwater mine in the French harbour of Hyeres near Toulon on April 20th, 1868. Following a signal from a warship, it was detona
Explosion of a trial underwater mine in the French harbour of Hyeres near Toulon on April 20th, 1868. Following a signal from a warship, it was detonated from the shore by an electrical current from a voltaic cell. The mine contained 500kg of gunpowder and was submerged to a depth of 7 metres. The name torpedo, after the electric ray fish, was widespread for these weapons at this time. Submarine mines are explosives concealed beneath the surface of the sea for the protection of harbours, estuaries, etc. and against a hostile fleet. During the 19th century, in Europe, America and Russia, many devices were experimented with before the advent of the underwater self-propelled weapon. Devised by Robert Whitehead in 1866, it had an an explosive warhead with a nitroglycerine charge which was detonated by mercuric fulminate on impact with the target.
Size: 4942px × 3536px
Photo credit: © SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -headed, angiosperms, biological, biology, blue, botanical, botany, calcareous, campanulaceae, close, close-, europe, european, flora, flower, flowering, flowers, grassland, nature, orbiculare, petals, phyteuma, plant, purple, rampion, slovenia, tenerum, trio, wild, wildflower
