Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo
| Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo | |
|---|---|
Mark 3 Whitehead torpedo fired from East Dock, Goat Island, Newport Torpedo Station, Rhode Island, 1894 | |
| Type | Anti-surface ship torpedo |
| Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1898–1922 |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Robert Whitehead |
| Designed | 1893 |
| Manufacturer | Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co. E. W. Bliss Company |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 845 pounds |
| Length | 140 inches (3.55 meters) |
| Diameter | 17.7 inches (45 centimeters) |
| Effective firing range | 800 yards |
| Warhead | wet guncotton |
| Warhead weight | 118 pounds |
Detonation mechanism | War Nose Mk 1 contact exploder |
| Engine | 3-cylinder |
| Maximum speed | 26.5 knots |
Guidance system | gyroscope |
Launch platform | battleships and torpedo boats |
The Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo was a Whitehead 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 difference between the Mark 3 and the previous versions of the 3.55-meter Whiteheads was the inclusion of the Obry steering gyro for azimuth control. This device reduced the maximum deviation right or left of the target from 24 to 8 yards. About 100 Mark 3s were purchased from the E. W. Bliss Company; in 1913, these were redesignated Torpedo Type A. They were used on submarines of the A, B, C and D classes. These were withdrawn from service use in 1922 when all torpedoes designed before the Bliss-Leavitt Mark 7 torpedo were condemned.