Brennan torpedo

Brennan torpedo

The Brennan torpedo, patented by Irish born Australian inventor Louis Brennan in 1877, was powered by two contra-rotating propellors that were spun by rapidly pulling out wires from drums wound inside the torpedo. Differential speed on the wires connected to the shore station allowed the torpedo to be guided to its target, up to convert|2000|yd|m away, at speeds of up to convert|27|kn|mph.

The Brennan torpedo is often claimed as the world's first guided missile, but guided torpedoes invented by John Ericsson, John Louis Lay, and Victor von Scheliha all predate it; however, Brennan's torpedo was much simpler in its concept and worked over an acceptable range at a satisfactory speed so it might be more accurate to call it "the world's first "practical" guided missile".cite book | last = Gray | first = Edwyn | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Nineteenth-Century Torpedoes and Their Inventors | publisher = Naval Institute Press | year = 2004 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1591143411]

Description

The Brennan torpedo was similar in appearance to more modern ones, apart from being having a flattened oval cross-section instead of a circular one. It was designed to run at a consistent depth of convert|12|ft|m, and was fitted with an indicator mast that just broke the surface of the water; at night the mast had a small light fitted which was only visible from the rear.

Two steel drums were mounted one behind the other inside the torpedo, each carrying several thousands yards of high-tensile steel wire. The drums were connected via a differential gear to twin contra-rotating propellers. If one drum was rotated faster than the other, then the rudder was activated. The other ends of the wires were connected to steam-powered winding engines, which were arranged so that speeds could be varied within fine limits, giving sensitive steering control for the torpedo.

The torpedo attained a speed of convert|20|kn|mph using a wire convert|.04|in|mm in diameter but later this was changed to convert|.07|in|mm to increase the speed to convert|27|kn|mph. The torpedo was fitted with elevators controlled by a depth-keeping mechanism, and the fore and aft rudders operated by the differential between the drums.

In operation, the torpedo's operator would be positioned on a convert|40|ft|m high telescopic steel tower, which could be extended hydraulically. He was provided with a special pair of binoculars on which were mounted controls which could be used to electrically control the relative speeds of the twin winding engines. In this way he was able to follow the track of the torpedo and steer it with a great degree of accuracy. In tests carried out by the Admiralty the operator was able to hit a floating object at convert|2000|yd|m and was able to turn the torpedo through 180 degrees to hit a target from the off side.

History

According to Brennan's biographer, Norman Tomlinson, Brennan was inspired to create his torpedo's unique propulsion system in 1874, when he noticed that a cotton reel, if the thread is pulled toward the operator from underneath, moves forward rather than backward. He also realized that the only device which needed propulsion for a limited distance and which did not have to make a return journey, was a torpedo.

Brennan began making rough sketches of such a torpedo, and as the concept developed he sought the mathematical assistance of William Charles Kernot, a lecturer at Melbourne University.

After earlier experiments with a single propeller, by 1878 Brennan had produced a working version about convert|15|ft|m long, made from iron boiler plate, with twin contra-rotating propellers. Tests carried out in the Graving Dock at Williamstown, Victoria were successful, with steering proving to be reasonably controllable, although depth-keeping was not.

The British Admiralty had meanwhile instructed Rear Admiral J. Wilson, the Commodore of the Royal Navy's Australian Squadron, to investigate the weapon and report back. Alexander Kennedy Smith was also working to obtain the Victoria government's backing for the project and raised the subject in the state's legislature on 2 October 1877. A grant was eventually awarded for the development of the torpedo, and in March 1879 it was successfully tested in Hobsons Bay, Melbourne.

Brennan had by now established the Brennan Torpedo Company, and had assigned half of the rights on his patent to civil engineer John Ridley Temperley, in exchange for much-needed funds. Brennan and Temperley soon afterwards travelled to Britain, where the Admiralty examined the torpedo and found it unsuitable for shipboard use. However, the War Office proved more amenable, and in early August 1881 a special Royal Engineer committee was instructed to inspect the torpedo at Chatham and report back directly to the Secretary of State for War, Hugh Childers. The report strongly recommended that an improved model be built at government expense. It should be noted that at the time the Royal Engineers - part of the Army - were responsible for Britain's shore defenses, while the Royal Navy were responsible for its seaward protection.

In 1883 an agreement was reached between the Brennan Torpedo Company and the government. The newly appointed Inspector-General of Fortifications in England, Sir Andrew Clarke, appreciated the value of the torpedo and in spring 1883 an experimental station was established at Garrison Point Fort, Sheerness on the River Thames and a workshop for Brennan was set up at the Chatham Barracks, the home of the Royal Engineers. Between 1883 and 1885 the Royal Engineers held trials and in 1886 the torpedo was recommended for adoption as a harbour defence torpedo.

In 1884 Brennan received a letter from the War Office stating that they had decided to adopt his torpedo for harbour defence and he was invited to attend a meeting to decide the value of his invention. Brennan decided to accept £40,000 as a quick answer to his financial worries but his business partner J.R. Temperley assumed control of the negotiations and demanded £100,000. The War Office agreed to this, but said that it would have to be paid out over a period of three years. Brennan accepted this, but Temperley demanded a further £10,000 for the delay, and after some argument the War Office agreed, also agreeing to pay Brennan a sizable salary to act as production chief. A scandal eventually blew up over this sum, which was wildly extravagant in comparison to the £15,000 paid for manufacturing rights to the Whitehead torpedo only 15 years previous.

The Brennan torpedo became a standard harbour defence throughout the British Empire and was in use for more than fifteen years. Operational stations were established in the UK at Cliffe Fort, Fort Albert on the Isle of Wight and Plymouth. Other stations included Fort Camden in Cork, Ireland, and Lei Yue Mun Fort in Hong Kong.

In 1905 the Committee on Armaments of Home Ports issued a report in which they recommended the removal of all Brennan torpedoes from fixed defences due to their comparatively short range and the difficulty of launching them at night. Manufacture of the Brennan torpedo finished in 1906. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Brennan Torpedo | work = | publisher = Palmerston Forts Society | date = | url = http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/brennan.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-07-26 ]

urviving examples

The only remaining original Brennan Torpedo is exhibited at the Royal Engineers Museum in Chatham, Kent. However, traces of the installation at Fort Camden in County Cork remained as recently as 1985

Notes

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Brennan — is a surname, from the Welsh peoples Uí Bhraonáin, and may refer to many people.A* Deputy Andy Brennan, fictional characterB* Barbara Brennan * Bishop Leonard Brennan, fictional character * Brian Brennan * Brennan Manning, American author, friar …   Wikipedia

  • Torpēdo [2] — Torpēdo (hierzu Tafel »Torpedos« mit Text), früher jeder mit Explosivstoff gefüllte, zum Zerstören feindlicher Schiffe dienende Apparat (nach dem Zitterrochen benannt). Als Vorläufer der Torpedos können die Brander und Höllenmaschinen gelten.… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Torpedo — The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive, automobile, locomotive, or fish torpedo) is a self propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to… …   Wikipedia

  • BRENNAN, Louis (1852-1932) — inventor son of Thomas Brennan, was born at Castlebar, Ireland, on 28 January 1852. He was taken to Melbourne by his parents in 1861, and a few years later was articled to Alexander Kennedy Smith, a well known civil and mechanical engineer of the …   Dictionary of Australian Biography

  • Torpedo — in einem U Boot vor dem Einführen in das Torpedorohr Der moderne Torpedo ist eine Unterwasserwaffe mit eigenem Antrieb und einer Sprengladung. Er zündet bei Kontakt oder bei Annäherung an ein Ziel. Der Torpedo ist vor allem als Hauptwaffe von U… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Torpedo — Torpēdo (lat., »Zitterroche«), unterseeischer Sprengkörper zur Zerstörung feindlicher Schiffe, 1776 vom Amerikaner D. Bushnell erfolglos versucht, dann von Fulton (1801) angewendet; er ist entweder fest verankert (Seemine, s.d.) oder beweglich… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Torpedo — Para otros usos de este término, véase Torpedo (desambiguación). Efectos destructivos de un torpedo Mark 48 sobre el destructor australiano Torrens. Un torpedo moderno es un proyectil autopropulsado que se desplaza por debajo del agua estando… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Louis Brennan — (* 28. Januar 1852 in Castlebar, County Mayo, Irland; † 17. Januar 1932 in Montreux, Schweiz) war ein irisch australischer Konstrukteur und Erfinder. Leben und Werk Der gebürtige Ire wanderte noch als Kind 1861 mit …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Louis Brennan — (28 January 1852 – 17 January 1932) was an Irish Australian mechanical engineer and inventor.Brennan was born in Castlebar, Ireland, and moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1861 with parents. He started his career as a watchmaker and a few years… …   Wikipedia

  • Michael Brennan — (* 25. September 1912 in London, England; † 29. Juni 1982 in Chichester) war ein britischer Schauspieler. Er spielte u. a. im Film Tom Jones und Feuerball mit. In Feuerball sollte er zunächst eine Figur namens Vargas spielen. Jedoch bekam… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”