AERIAL TORPEDOES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 67, 19 July 1915, Page 4

AERIAL TORPEDOES.

It is interesting to note, with the present talk of aerial torpedoes engaging attention, that towards the end of 1907 an aerial torpedo was submitted to the British authorities, but the latter did not consider it worth while troubling about. Had the British Government acquired the l uge patent it is very likely that the Germans would have been deprived of t bn possibility of arming their airealt with aerial imp 'does. The Unge patent it appears. Is the invention of Colonel I ugc. ol the Swedish Army, aiul the secret ol il was fur long carefully kept. In the beginning of 1908 a German linn acquired 'the rigids of manufacturing the aerial i torpedo, and a lew mu.dhs alt r.iam,-.

•sold them to the Krupp Company. In 1909 n hundred Uugc aerial torpedoes were eonstrneted in Stockholm and despatched to Essen for ex])erimental purposes. It was announced at the time that these torpedoes had an initial speed of 104 ft per second, which increased up to 98lit per second during their flight of 2.78 miles. The missile carries a small turbine, which is driven by gases produced by the combustion of powder in the body of the weapon. The torpedo is fired from a lube, the propulsive charge in the torpedo being ignited by an electric spark. HoTu sides are using aerial torpedoes in trench warfare in France.