Torpedo facts for kids
A torpedo is a special weapon that travels underwater by itself. It's like a small, self-guided submarine packed with explosives! Torpedoes are designed to hit a target, like a ship or another submarine, and then explode. They can be launched from many places, including submarines, surface ships, helicopters, airplanes, and even from land. The modern torpedo was invented by Robert Whitehead in 1866.
Contents
How Torpedoes Work
Torpedoes are built to move through water using a propeller, much like a boat. They have a powerful engine inside that helps them travel a long distance to reach their target.
Finding the Target
Early torpedoes just went in a straight line. But modern torpedoes are much smarter! Many use a system called "sonar" to find their targets. Sonar sends out sound waves that bounce off objects underwater. The torpedo then "listens" for these echoes to figure out where the target is. This helps the torpedo steer itself directly towards the enemy ship or submarine.
Making an Impact
Once a torpedo gets close to its target, it explodes. Some torpedoes need to physically hit the target to explode. Others are designed to explode when they are very close to the target, even without touching it. This creates a huge shockwave that can cause a lot of damage to ships.
Who Uses Torpedoes?
Navies around the world use torpedoes as a key part of their defense and attack strategies.
From Submarines
Submarines are often called "silent hunters" because they can move underwater without being easily detected. They are one of the main ways torpedoes are launched. Submarines have special tubes that fire torpedoes, allowing them to attack enemy ships from below the surface.
From Ships and Aircraft
Surface ships, like destroyers and frigates, can also launch torpedoes. Some airplanes and helicopters are also equipped to drop torpedoes into the water. These are often used to hunt submarines.
A Brief History of Torpedoes
The idea of an underwater explosive weapon has been around for a long time, but the self-propelled torpedo is a more recent invention.
The First Modern Torpedo
The first successful self-propelled torpedo was created by Robert Whitehead in 1866. He was an English engineer working in Austria-Hungary. His invention changed naval warfare forever because ships could now attack enemies from a distance underwater.
Guided Torpedoes
Over time, torpedoes became more advanced. The Brennan torpedo, invented in the late 1800s, was one of the first guided torpedoes. It used wires to steer it from the shore, making it more accurate than earlier models.
Torpedoes in Wars
Torpedoes played a very important role in both World War I and World War II. Submarines used them to sink enemy ships, and they were a major threat to naval forces. During these wars, torpedoes became faster, more powerful, and more reliable.
Modern Torpedoes
Today's torpedoes are highly advanced. They can be very fast, travel long distances, and use sophisticated guidance systems to find and hit their targets. Some can even be launched from missiles that fly through the air before dropping the torpedo into the water.
Images for kids
-
Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo
-
NMS Rândunica
-
Robert Whitehead (right) invented the modern self-propelled torpedo in 1866. Pictured examining a battered test torpedo in Fiume c. 1875.
-
The Nordenfelt-class Ottoman submarine Abdülhamid (1886) was the first submarine in history to fire a torpedo while submerged.
-
The Brennan torpedo was the first practical guided torpedo.
-
In 1915, Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske conceived of the aerial torpedo.
-
The Short Type 184 was the first torpedo aircraft when built in 1915.
-
Launching a torpedo in 1915 during World War I
-
A Japanese Type 93 torpedo – nicknamed "Long Lance" after the war
-
U.S. World War II PT boat torpedo on display
-
Electric batteries of a French Z13 torpedo
-
A torpedo dropped from a Sopwith Cuckoo during World War I
-
Torpedo tube aboard the French submarine Argonaute
-
Mark 30 torpedo on display at DCAE Cosford.
-
A Malafon torpedo-carrying missile of the 1960s
Learn More
- Modern Torpedoes And Countermeasures
- US Navy torpedo data
- Early History of the Torpedo
- US Naval Undersea Museum Torpedo Display
- US Naval Undersea Museum Torpedo Collection
See also
In Spanish: Torpedo para niños
