The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-03
Machine With Ears

The latest pattern or OerIndn LoEPtuo is of 21la-inch diameter, carries bursting charge of 200 pounds of explosive and has range Of about 75Oo yards.
 Most people know that torpedo Is a oigar-shaped projectile. but only few realize that it is about 1T feet long. Nor probably are many people aware of the uncanny devices which have been added to the torpedo one by one to insure that 1t shall do it's work.
 The torpedo is fired nearly always from A tube beneath the water ilne, and travel ing, as It dces, through the water and not through the air. is aiGays liable to be deflected from it's course Moreover, now that 1t Is destined to be uesd against sehips of high speed on the move, instead of merely at anchored vessels, as was originally the case, the torpedo lieuten- ant, in arranging the firing of the tor pedo, has to allow both for the speed ot the projectile toward the enemy's ship and the speed at which that ship is tray- cling across the path of the torpedo.
 To correct the tendency to leave tho straight course, a gyroscopic attachment was invented, and, to make additionally oertan that the torpedo shall find its mark, device which may be likened to the ears has been patented. This is mi- crophone, which catcnes the sound oi the ships propellers and steers the tor pedo toward that sound
 Guarded Secrets
 In sections a torpedo may be described thus:
 l. The pistol and detonator.
 2. The expiosive charge.
 5. Ar chamber containing the com pressed ar mouve power.
 1 Balance chamber. in which are the controIs of the rudders.
 b. Engines
 G. Buoyancy chamber.
 T. Ruaoers.
 s. Propellers.
 This, of course, only the tarest out line of what IS one of the most ingenious and complicated death-dealing machines In the world. Improvements in the de- sign of the torpedo are the most jealous ly guarded secrets of any admiralty. Germany long ago abandoned tine prac- tice of buying torpedocs from any arma- ment firm, and made them in her own government works, close to a suitable ex- panse of water where they could be tested in absolute secrecy. And even with all the Improvements no torpedo lieutenant trusts his ..tinflsh-" It Is a treacherous and ungraterui animal, that may play it's master false tt any mo- ment, though 1t will hardly turn and reno
 
 ature of the water may not be to it's liking. and will make all the difference in the world to it's speed
 The torpedo is, of course, the primary weapon of the submarine and the torpe- do boat destroyer. But every -feadnaught is designed with torpedo tubes, too, and in a fleet action. If 1t is fought within the range of the torpedo. 1t may well be the l7-foot under water projectiles that will do more damage than the shells of the 13.5-inch gun. For, one torpedo with warhead of 290 pounds of T. N T. that gets we'll home on tho hull of a 27.- cotton battleship will do enough damage to put her right out Of control and hope lessly crippled as fighting ship. The chance of such 8 success for the enemy Is greater still if he fires two torpedoes simultaneously on a para Tel course, tho distance between them being approxf- mately the length of ths ship aimed at, Salvoes of torpedoes have neen fired with a result of one hit out of three projec- tiles, both in the German and British navies, at squadrons of ships at a range of three and three-quarter miles. and one German technical writer claimed last year that similar results can be obtained even up to six and quarter miles. This, however, has been questioned by torpedo experts.
 It Is against the peril of this weapon that the fleet in the North sea has to guard at the moment. Germany would consider herself well repaid If she sacri- feed eight torpedo boat destroyers and sent two battleships to the bottom. The loss of the U 16 would have been small thing if at the same time her consorts had been able to torpedo ship like the Conqueror, which is finer fighting ma chine than any that flies the German flag