Invention The Quick Torpedo (c. 1870 - )
- From
- c. 1870
Summary
What little we know about the Quick Torpedo is based upon a report that appeared in The Times of November 11, 1870, stating: "The War-office authorities have given orders for the trial at Chatham of a self-propelling torpedo the invention of Mr. George Quick of Portsea, Portsmouth. This torpedo is described as being designed for deep-sea fighting under all conditions of weather. The one now constructing for the trial will carry a bursting charge of 700lb. Weight of gunpowder, is 2ft. In diameter, and is to travel a distance of 2,000 yards, at any depth below the surface of the water not exceeding 20ft. In 30 seconds.
It is highly likely that George Quick of Portsea, Portsmouth, is the same George Quick who worked his way up the Royal Navy's promotional ladder from the position of Acting Third-Class Assistant Engineer in 1860 to Staff Engineer in 1886 and retired in 1887.
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Published resources
Books
- Gray, Edwyn, Nineteenth Century Torpedoes and Their Inventors, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2004. Details
Newspaper Articles
- 'Military and Naval Intelligence', The Times, 11 November 1870, p. 5. Details
Sources used to compile this entry: Gray, Edwyn, Nineteenth Century Torpedoes and Their Inventors, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2004.
Prepared by: Rebecca Rigby