Early use in combat Torpedo boat

chilean torpedo boats in valparaíso, used @ battle of caldera bay during 1891 chilean civil war.

the first recorded launch of torpedoes torpedo boat (which launched torpedo boat tender) in actual battle russian admiral stepan makarov on january 16, 1878, used self-propelled whitehead s torpedoes against ottoman gunboat İntibâh during russo-turkish war of 1877-78. first sinking of armoured ship torpedo boat, chilean ironclad blanco encalada, occurred during 1891 chilean civil war.

in late 19th century, many navies started build torpedo boats 30 50 metres (98 164 ft) in length, armed 3 torpedo launchers , small guns. powered steam engines , had maximum speed of 20 30 knots (37 56 km/h). relatively inexpensive , purchased in quantity, allowing mass attacks on fleets of larger ships. loss of squadron of torpedo boats enemy fire more outweighed sinking of capital ship.

the russo-japanese war 1904-1905, first great war of 20th century. first practical testing of new steel battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, , torpedo boats. during war imperial russian navy in addition other warships, deployed 86 torpedo boats , launched 27 torpedoes (from warships) in 3 major campaigns, scoring 5 hits.

the imperial japanese navy (ijn), russians, combined tbs (which possessed hull numbers) torpedo boat destroyers (tbds) (often referring them destroyers) , launched on 270 torpedoes (counting opening engagement @ port arthur on 8 february 1904) during war. ijn deployed approximately 21 tbs during conflict, , on 27 may 1905 japanese torpedo boat destroyers , tbs launched 16 torpedoes @ battleship knyaz suvorov, admiral rozhestvensky s flagship @ battle of tsushima. admiral tōgō heihachirō, ijn commander, had ordered torpedo boats finish off enemy flagship, gunned wreck, prepared pursue remnants of russian battle fleet.

of 16 torpedoes launched tbds , tbs @ russian battleship, 4 hit mark, 2 of hits torpedo boats #72 , #75. evening, battleship rolled on , sank bottom of tsushima straits. war s end, torpedoes launched warships had sunk 1 battleship, 2 armored cruisers, , 2 destroyers. remaining on 80 warships sunk guns, mines, scuttling, or shipwreck.