Whitehead Mark 5 torpedo
| Whitehead Mark 5 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-surface ship torpedo |
| Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1910–1922 |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Robert Whitehead |
| Designed | 1901 |
| Manufacturer | Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co. Naval Torpedo Station Vickers Limited |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1452 pounds |
| Length | 204 inches (5.18 meters) |
| Diameter | 17.7 inches (45 centimeters) |
| Effective firing range | 1000–4000 yards |
| Warhead | wet guncotton |
| Warhead weight | 200 pounds |
Detonation mechanism | War Nose Mk 5 contact exploder |
| Engine | 4-cylinder reciprocating |
| Maximum speed | 27–40 knots |
Guidance system | gyroscope |
Launch platform | battleships, torpedo boats and submarines |
The Whitehead Mark 5 torpedo was a Whitehead torpedo adopted by the United States Navy for use in an anti-surface ship role in 1910. The Mark 5 was the first torpedo to be manufactured by a foreign company, the Whitehead facility in the United Kingdom, and in 1908, by the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island. It was also the first torpedo to allow the firing ship to vary the torpedo's speed and range.