Whitehead Mark 1B torpedo

Whitehead Mark 1B torpedo
Whitehead torpedo mechanism, published 1891
Type	Anti-surface ship torpedo
Place of origin	Austria-Hungary
Service history
In service	1894–1922
Used by	United States Navy
Production history
Designer	Robert Whitehead
Designed	1892
Manufacturer	Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co. E. W. Bliss Company
Specifications
Weight	1160 pounds
Length	197 inches (5.0 meters)
Diameter	17.7 inches (45 centimeters)
Effective firing range	800 yards
Warhead	wet guncotton
Warhead weight	220 pounds
Detonation mechanism	War Nose Mk 1 contact exploder
Engine	3-cylinder reciprocating
Speed	27.5 knots
Guidance system	depth control, gyroscope
Launch platform	battleships and torpedo boats

The Whitehead Mark 1B torpedo, designated as a Torpedo Type B, was a variant of the Whitehead Mark 1 torpedo adopted by the United States Navy for use in an anti-surface ship role after the E. W. Bliss Company of Brooklyn, New York secured manufacturing rights in 1892. The primary differences between the Mark 1 and the Mark 1B were that the Mark 1B was longer, carried a heavier guncotton charge in the warhead and included an improved guidance system.

The Mark 1B was ordinarily assembled into three sections: the warhead, the air flask and the after-body. The warhead carried the explosive charge of wet guncotton. The Mark 1B was a "cold-running" torpedo. The three-cylinder reciprocating engine ran on cold, compressed air which was stored in the air flask at 1350 pounds per square inch. The after-body carried the engine and the tail, which contained the propellers.

The Mark 1B guidance component included the Pendulum-and-hydrostat control device which was called the "Whitehead Secret" and, for the last forty units of the production, the Obry steering gyro for azimuth control. This device reduced the maximum deviation right or left of the target from 24 to 8 yards.

The Mark 1B was launched from battleships and torpedo boats.