TORPEDOES A FAILURE.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 868, 30 September 1871, Page 3

TORPEDOES A FAILURE.

(" Pall Mall Gazette.") The' German papers do not report favourably on the employment of torpedoes as a means .of naval defence. These formidable weapons have indeed proved destructive enough, but more so to friends than to foes. Torpedoes for defensive purposes were used in the late war all along the German coast, both to ignite by contact with hostile vessels and by electric batteries on the shore. The former were sunk three feet under the level of the water, and loaded with 751b of powder each. The latter were sunk eight feet under water and loaded with 3cwt. of dualine, which is supposed to correspond in blasting power to lOewt. of gunpowder. A special corps of marine artillerymen and engineers was told off to lay and serve the torpedo batteries, bnt their labours were eventually limited to laying them only, for the electric torpedoes were not put into use, no French vessels approaching near enough. Many of the contact torpedoes went off while beingsunk, killing ard wounding many of the men. The torpedoes for offensive purposes proved entirely inoffensive. They were used only in one instance—vis., by the Grille in the encounter off Rtigen. They measured 2ft. 2in. in length, and Ift. 2in. in diameter ; a great number seemed to have been employed, but none would explode. On the whole, the German press considers the torpedoes a failure.