Page:The Development of Navies During the Last Half-Century.djvu/238

 ship, a maximum distance beyond which the chances of hitting rapidly diminished, while at closer ranges they were increased. In the earlier patterns the head of the torpedo had been made exceedingly sharp, under the idea that this form would give increased speed. But the late Mr Froude's experiments with submerged bodies showed this to be erroneous, and that a better result can be obtained with a bluff head. A further advantage of such a form is that a considerable increase of explosive can be carried without adding to the length of the torpedo. With this modification the later patterns have a charge of 60 lbs. of gun cotton, equivalent, it may be considered approximately, to 200 lbs. of gunpowder. Exploded in contact with the bottom of a ship, the effect must be either to sink or disable, according to the precise locality struck.

This new weapon, directed at the most vulnerable part of a ship, had to be met, and it led to the extension of the double-bottom system. There was an idea that the torpedo might expend its energy on the outer skin, leaving the inner hull intact, and thus save the ship from fatal injury. But as Sir Nathaniel Barnaby truly remarked fifteen years ago: 'I say it is idle to attempt to form the bottom of a ship strong enough to resist a fair blow from a powerful torpedo. The utmost that can be done is to keep the disabled ship afloat after she has received such a blow. It would be possible to protect the bottoms of ships with armour to withstand the present charges of the Whitehead torpedoes. When this was done, it would only be necessary to increase the