Title: Ship killer : a history of the American torpedo /
Authors: Wildenberg, Thomas, 1947-; Polmar, Norman.
Publisher: Naval Institute Press,
Year: 2010
Subjects: Torpedoes United States History.
Abstract: "In this book, Thomas Wildenberg and Norman Polmar provide a definitive work on the development and use of the torpedo by the U.S. Navy. Their book begins with an overview of the early undersea weapons developed by Bushnell and Fulton, the spar torpedo of the Civil War and attempts to imitate the Whitehead torpedo, and then focuses on American torpedo development for use from submarines, surface warships and small combatants, and aircraft."--Publisher's description.
Contents: The first torpedoes : Bushnell, Fulton, and the Civil War (1775-1865) -- False starts : the first self-propelled torpedo (1869-1890) -- The torpedo perfected : Bliss-Leavitt torpedoes (1890-1913) -- Submarines : the ultimate torpedo boat (1900-1918) -- Battleships made vulnerable : torpedo boats and destroyers (1893-1919) -- Between the wars (1919-1941) -- Attack from the air : aerial torpedoes (1917-1945) -- They were expendable : PT boats at war (1941-1945) -- Torpedoes that didn't work : submarine failures (1941-1943) -- Out ranged : the Long Lance vs. the Mark 15 (1942-1945) -- Victory assured : torpedoes that did work (1943-1945) -- Smart torpedoes : the Fido and Cutie (1941-1945) -- Cold War torpedoes : submarines (1946-1991) -- Cold War torpedoes : surface ships and aircraft (1946-2010) -- The ultimate torpedo : the Mark 48 (1972-present) -- An effective weapon : the ship killers -- Appendix A: Torpedo fire control -- Appendix B: U.S. Navy experimental torpedoes -- Appendix C: U.S. Navy torpedoes -- Appendix D: Maintenance problems causing erratic runs.