First torpedo boats Torpedo boat

hms lightning, first modern torpedo boat, built in 1876

during mid-19th century, ships of line superseded large steam powered ships heavy gun armament , heavy armour, called ironclads. line of development led dreadnought class of all-big-gun battleship, starting hms dreadnought.

at same time, weight of armour slowed down speed of battleships, , huge guns needed penetrate enemy armour fired @ slow rates. allowed possibility of small , fast ship attack battleships, @ lower cost. introduction of torpedo provided weapon cripple, or sink, battleship.

the first warship of kind carry self-propelled torpedoes hms vesuvius of 1873. first seagoing vessel designed fire self-propelled whitehead torpedo hms lightning. boat built john thornycroft @ church wharf in chiswick royal navy. entered service in 1876 , armed self-propelled whitehead torpedoes.

another torpedo boat, hnoms rap

as built, lightning had 2 drop collars launch torpedoes; these replaced in 1879 single torpedo tube in bow. carried 2 reload torpedoes amidships. later renamed torpedo boat no. 1. french navy followed suit in 1878 torpilleur no 1, launched in 1878 though had been ordered in 1875.

another such ship norwegian warship hnoms rap, ordered thornycroft shipbuilding company, england, in either 1872 or 1873, , built @ thornycroft s shipyard @ church wharf in chiswick on river thames. managing speed of 14.5 knots (27 km/h), 1 of fastest boats afloat when completed. norwegians planned arm spar torpedo, may never have been fitted. rap outfitted launch racks new self-propelled whitehead torpedoes in 1879.