| Whitehead Mark 2 torpedo | |
| Origin: | Austria-Hungary |
| Type: | Anti-surface ship torpedo[1] |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Is Explosive: | yes |
| Is Missile: | yes |
| Service: | 1896–1913 |
| Used By: | United States Navy[2] |
| Designer: | Robert Whitehead |
| Manufacturer: | Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co.[3] E. W. Bliss Company |
| Design Date: | 1893 |
| Variants: | Whitehead Mk 2 (Type C)[4] |
| Weight: | 845 pounds |
| Length: | 140 inches (3.55 meters) |
| Diameter: | 17.7 inches (45 centimeters) |
| Range: | 800 yards |
| Filling: | wet guncotton |
| Filling Weight: | 118 lbs |
| Detonation: | War Nose Mk 1 contact exploder |
| Engine: | 3-cylinder reciprocating |
| Speed: | 27 knots |
| Guidance: | depth control |
| Launch Platform: | battleships and torpedo boats |
The Whitehead Mark 2 torpedo[5] was a Whitehead torpedo adopted by the United States Navy for use in an anti-surface ship role after the E. W. Bliss Company of Brooklyn, New York secured manufacturing rights in 1892.[2] It was identical to the Whitehead Mark 1 torpedo, except for some mechanical details.[1]
The Mark 2 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 2 was what was known as a "cold-running" torpedo.[1] The three-cylinder reciprocating engine ran on cold, compressed air which was stored in the air flask, which had a capacity of 7.154 cubic feet at 1350 pounds per square inch. The after-body carried the engine and the tail, which contained the propellers.[6]
The Mark 2 guidance component included the Pendulum-and-hydrostat control device which was called the "Whitehead Secret". This version of the Whitehead torpedo lacked the gyroscope gear designed by Ludwig Obry, which was incorporated in another Whitehead model, the Mark 3.
The Mark 2 was launched from battleships and torpedo boats. The first commissioned U.S. Navy submarine, USS Holland, was armed with three Mark 2 torpedoes. [7]