| Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo | |
| Origin: | Austria-Hungary |
| Type: | Anti-surface ship torpedo[1] |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Is Explosive: | yes |
| Is Missile: | yes |
| Service: | 1898–1922 |
| Used By: | United States Navy[2] |
| Designer: | Robert Whitehead |
| Manufacturer: | Torpedofabrik Whitehead & Co.[3] 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 |
The Whitehead Mark 3 torpedo 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]
The primary difference between the Mark 3 and the previous versions of the 3.55-meter Whiteheads was the inclusion of the Obry steering gyro for azimuth control. This device reduced the maximum deviation right or left of the target from 24 to 8 yards.[4] About 100 Mark 3s were purchased from the E. W. Bliss Company; in 1913, these were redesignated Torpedo Type A.[5] 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 These were withdrawn from service use in 1922 when all torpedoes designed before the Bliss-Leavitt Mark 7 torpedo were condemned.[1]
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.[1] 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.[6]
The Mark 3 was launched from battleships and torpedo boats.