Navy dolphins discover rare old torpedo off Coronado (San Diego, CA)

LA Times ^ | May 17, 2013 | Tony Perry

[jazusamo]

Two trained dolphins surprise Navy specialists with their find: a Howell torpedo, state-of-the-art for its day in the late 19th century. It's only the second one known to exist.

SAN DIEGO — In the ocean off Coronado, a Navy team has discovered a relic worthy of display in a military museum: a torpedo of the kind deployed in the late 19th century, considered a technological marvel in its day.

But don't look for the primary discoverers to get a promotion or an invitation to meet the admirals at the Pentagon — although they might get an extra fish for dinner or maybe a pat on the snout.

The so-called Howell torpedo was discovered by bottlenose dolphins being trained by the Navy to find undersea objects, including mines, that not even billion-dollar technology can detect.

"Dolphins naturally possess the most sophisticated sonar known to man," Braden Duryee, an official at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific said after the surprising discovery.

While not as well known as the Gatling gun and the Sherman tank, the Howell torpedo was hailed as a breakthrough when the U.S. was in heavy competition for dominance on the high seas. It was the first torpedo that could truly follow a track without leaving a wake and then smash a target, according to Navy officials.

Only 50 were made between 1870 and 1889 by a Rhode Island company before a rival copied and surpassed the Howell's capability.

[Born to Conserve]

“Be careful what you teach animals to bring home:”

Our neighbors dog would knock down a fence to fetch a firecracker before it went of.

[smoothsailing]

Mustang Class Torpedo Flyer

The Mustang class torpedo flyer was conceived in 1884 as an inexpensive craft capable of patrolling and defending America's Eastern Coast. An Army project, it was also an attempt to demonstrate that the US Army should "own" the skies, not the "New Navy." Senior generals reasoned that if flyers like the Mustang class could effectively prevent foreign fleets from approaching the coast, and harass enemy shipping, it would ensure that the Army would be the nation's first line of defense (and ensure ample funding).

......................

Armament of Mustang ClassClass

4 Howell Torpedo Launchers (16 torpedoes)
3-inch BLR (40 rounds)
8 Hotchkiss Revolving Steam Cannon 37mm/5 in 4 double turrets (9600 rounds)

Source

:o)

[stuartcr]

How did it track? What was it’s propulsion system?

[smoothsailing]

Mustang Class Torpedo Flyer

The Mustang class torpedo flyer was conceived in 1884 as an inexpensive craft capable of patrolling and defending America's Eastern Coast. An Army project, it was also an attempt to demonstrate that the US Army should "own" the skies, not the "New Navy." Senior generals reasoned that if flyers like the Mustang class could effectively prevent foreign fleets from approaching the coast, and harass enemy shipping, it would ensure that the Army would be the nation's first line of defense (and ensure ample funding).

......................

Armament of Mustang Class Torpedo Flyer

4 Howell Torpedo Launchers (16 torpedoes)
3-inch BLR (40 rounds)
8 Hotchkiss Revolving Steam Cannon 37mm/5 in 4 double turrets (9600 rounds)

Source

:o)

I think that Howell torpedo guy was a distant cousin three times removed on my great-great-great granddaddy's sister's nephew's side of the family.

[jazusamo]

LOL!

Gads I love these military history threads, I learn something new on every one of them. ;-)

Good to see your yacht again, it just keeps going and going:)

[jazusamo]

Check the Wiki link at post 5. It was powered by a flywheel spinning at 10 to 12 thousand RPM before launch and had a range of about 400 yds.

[smoothsailing]

The Army/Navy rivalry runs deep in my family. :o)

[stuartcr]

I saw that after I posted, I didn’t see anything about tracking.

[jazusamo]

I haven’t seen anything about tracking either, looks like there wasn’t any. I guess they aimed as best they could, launched and hoped it would hit.

[smoothsailing]

LOL, my boat stalled in post#27!

[stuartcr]

Pretty clever propulsion

[jazusamo]

It didn’t stall, the wind quit. Must have been due to global warming! ;-)

[smoothsailing]

LOL! Yep, these pups would have come in handy!

[DogByte6RER]

Ping