The only Howell torpedo thought to exist before now is on display at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington.
The U.S. Navy has been employing dolphins’ biological sonar skills for years to search for underwater mines. However, dolphins will be retiring in 2017 when the Knifefish, an unmanned underwater robot similar to a torpedo, will take over the job.
The dolphins aren't quite ready to lose their jobs to the robots yet. Two Navy-trained dolphins just discovered a rare Howell torpedo (just like the one in the above image) off the coast of San Diego.
In 1889, the Navy ordered the production of 50 of these Howell torpedoes. Of the 50, it was believed that only one remained in existence and currently resides at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, WA – until now.
Brief history of the Howell torpedo
Lieutenant Commander John A. Howell, head of the Department of Astronomy and Navigation at the U.S. Naval Academy began developing this locomotive torpedo in 1870 with two new improvements on existing technologies. The first improvement that made it possible was propulsion by a heavy flywheel and the second was the installation of the flywheel as a gyroscope that could stabilize the torpedo.
How it worked
A steam turbine was attached the torpedo tube in order to spin the 132-pound flywheel at 100,000 rpm. This method supplied enough stored energy to move the torpedo through 1,200 feet of water.
The propeller pitch helped the torpedo maintain a constant speed once it slowed down. A Howell torpedo could be fired from above or below water and was capable of achieving a speed of 26 knots.
Additional images:
The Howell propellers were counter-rotating and employed variable pitch. (Image via Naval Undersea Museum)
The torpedo nose. (Image via Naval Undersea Museum)
A Howell torpedo being fired from a boat around 1890. (Image via Naval Undersea Museum)
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