Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo

About 100 Mark 3s were purchased from the E. Bliss Company; in 1913, these were redesignated Torpedo Type A. They were used on submarines of the A, B, C and D classes. These were withdrawn from service use in 1922 when all torpedoes designed before the Bliss-Leavitt Mark 7 torpedo were condemned.

• Name — Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo • Origin — Austria-Hungary • Type — Anti-surface ship torpedo • Is Ranged — yes • Is Explosive — yes • Is Missile — yes • Service — 1898–1922 • Used By — United States Navy • Designer — Robert Whitehead • Manufacturer — Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co. E. W. Bliss Company • Design Date — 1893 • Weight — 845 pounds • Length — 140 inches (3.55 meters) • Diameter — 17.7 inches (45 centimeters) • Range — 800 yards • Filling — wet guncotton • Filling Weight — 118 pounds • Detonation — War Nose Mk 1 contact exploder • Engine — 3-cylinder • Speed — 26.5 knots • Guidance — gyroscope • Launch Platform — battleships and torpedo boats

• Illustration — Obry gyroscopic gear installed in the Mark 3; the gyroscope itself is labelled F, G and H The Mark 3 was ordinarily assembled into three sections: the warhead, the air flask and the after-body. The warhead's charge of wet guncotton weighed 118 pounds. The Mark 3 was what was known as a "cold-running" torpedo. The three-cylinder engine ran on cold, compressed air which was stored in the air flask. The after-body carried the engine and the tail, which contained the propellers. The Mark 3 was launched from battleships and torpedo boats.