Submarine question

[ffutures]

Last night I posted an article about an early (1902-3) British submarine which contains a couple of terms I'm not familiar with, since I don't know much about the technology.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/ffutures/114254.html#cutid1

It mentions three types of torpedo carried by the sub; an "aerial torpedo" fired by compressed air when the sub is surfaced, another "for using beneath the water", and a
"Whitehead". I'd like to add a glossary explaining what these did, and what the differences between the three types were, since it isn't very clear.

If possible I'd also like to identify the sub, which was 118 x 9 feet externally, had electric and petrol engines, and a claimed range on electric motors of 100 miles.

Comments

[elementalv.livejournal.com]

I found this note:

1897
Even before "Plunger" had failed, Holland began construction of a new, smaller (54 feet), slower (7 knots), gasoline-powered boat, "Holland VI." Armament: one dynamite gun (air-launched 222-pound projectile with seven loads) and a Whitehead torpedo (three loads). Crew: six men. Habitability: included a toilet, to support operations as long as forty hours. Holland began a series of public demonstrations.

New York Times, May 17, 1897: ". . . the Holland, the little cigar-sharped vessel owned by her inventor, which may or may not play an important part in the navies of the world in the years to come, was launched from Nixon's shipyard this morning,"

at Submarine History's 1870-1914 timeline of development section.

The site makes for interesting reading, and if you read down further, I think you'll find your sub might have been a Holland V, though which one, I've no idea.

[elementalv.livejournal.com]

I also found these:

http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/collection/whitehead.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWwhitehead.htm
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/WendyNg.shtml

The last link is to a section in The Physics Handbook and gives nifty details about speed and such.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much indeed. Should have known the info would be out there...

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I thought this was the Holland 1, but if the specification of length and beam is right it's bigger. I'll have to do some research.