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Torpedo tail section ID.

View attachment 118083

Dug through my old Firepower museum pics and found these. Got me to thinking about how many torpedo tails there are laying on the bottom of the ocean.

Hi Slick,

I'm pretty certain that you kindly sent a couple of pics of this one a while ago, but can't find the one with the corresponding display description, which from memory indicated that it was ~WW1 period (incorrect)

The reason why this photo was of interest confirmed that all major sections of a Whitehead /Schwartzkopf torpedoes were stamped with their serial number (including the pistol) - as clearly shown.
"1274" can be observed on the tail and even on the counter-rotating props.

If it is a Whitehead Fiume manufactured torpedo, then it was part of a batch of 5 for Germany (1273-1277) and delivered in 1882.
Cheers
Drew
 

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  • Royal Navy Submarine Museum - Gosport 42.jpg
    Royal Navy Submarine Museum - Gosport 42.jpg
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IMG_2197.jpgIMG_2196.jpgIMG_2195 (2).jpgIMG_2176 (2).jpg
The placard pic is between pics 1 & 2, the 4th pic is a few before in the group from the RN Sub Museum. I'm not sure the one you posted is the one I took. I visited the Firepower museum on the same day so can't be sure what's what or where. It was nearly 7 years ago. A long time in old guy years.
 
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What is interesting re this torpedo, is that the Explosion Museum has the previous serial numbered torpedo in their storage area (#1273), in which I was very fortunate enough to be "invited in" to inspect.

In fact the storage areas were more interesting than the Museum itself.............

Cheers
Drew
 
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