Summary

The Bliss-Leavitt Torpedo was designed by Frank McDowell Leavitt while employed at E.W. Bliss & Co. The torpedo was designed to run on steam turbines instead of the radial compressed air engines that ran the standard torpedo of the day.

The single turbine Bliss-Leavitt Mk1 was released in 1904.

It is named for its designer and his employer, E.W. Bliss & Co., who also manufactured the torpedo.

Over the next 8 years Mk 2-7 were released, each one an improvement on the last in terms of speed, accuracy and range.

The Bliss-Leavitt Mk 7, released in 1912 was considered so successful that it became the favoured torpedo of the US Navy and remained in commission for 33 years.