Chapter 265 Brennan Torpedo

After listening to Tijani's explanation, Charles realized that the "Brennan torpedo" of this period was not the same as the modern wire-guided torpedo.

The biggest difference is that the wires of the "Brennan Torpedo" are responsible for "control" as well as transmitting electricity.

"It has an electric motor," Tijani explained. "Our batteries can't store enough power to get it to the target, and the generator is too big to fit inside the missile, so we use shore power to power it."

The method of generating electricity made Charles laugh. They even equipped this torpedo with a boiler room, which drove the steam engine to generate electricity, and then transmitted the electricity to the torpedo. The whole device was almost a small power plant.

(The picture above shows how the "Brennan Torpedo" works. It is usually deployed on the shore. The watchtower is used to observe the direction of the torpedo, and then notify the personnel in the base by phone to control the torpedo through the "steering wheel" to correct the trajectory)

Obviously, such a large torpedo mechanism cannot be carried on a torpedo boat.

Even moving it to destroyers and battleships was considered unrealistic. The internal space of destroyers and battleships is extremely valuable. To develop a dedicated system for torpedoes and even to set up lookouts for coordination, it is better to try your luck with traditional torpedoes.

But Charles soon found a solution.

"Why don't we combine the two torpedoes?" Charles replied. "I mean, take the best of both worlds."

"The advantages of both..." Tijani suddenly understood: "You mean, install wires on traditional torpedoes, and the wires only control the torpedo's steering?"

Ciel nodded.

The "Brennan Torpedo" already existed during this period, which meant that the system for electrically controlling torpedo steering was already mature and was not difficult to develop.

Tijani was stunned for a while, then suddenly stood up, his face solemn: "Thank you very much, Colonel. I'm not sure if this idea is feasible, I have to ask them! Of course, there is also this..."

Tijani raised the document in his hand and said, "I will come back to see you soon..."

"Wait!" Charles stopped Tijani who was about to leave: "Perhaps we should discuss the issue of torpedo range."

Tijani turned around as if he had received an electric shock, and looked at Charles in amazement: "You, do you have any way to increase the torpedo range?"

…

In the 15th arrondissement of Paris, in a five-story villa on the banks of the Seine, Wells, wearing a pince-nez, was buried in a pile of design drawings, busy as a whim.

During this period, Wells had been implementing the two directions proposed by Charles: upgrading destroyers and improving torpedoes.

Upgrading destroyers does not pose any technical difficulty for the Brest Shipyard. It is just a comprehensive consideration of the warship's speed, armor, and firepower.

The key point is that it has a clear goal: to be faster than cruisers and battleships, and to have stronger firepower and protection than British destroyers.

This will create an asymmetric competition: those who can defeat the destroyer cannot catch up with it, and those who can catch up with the destroyer are vulnerable to it.

In a sense, it is invincible. It can run around in the ocean and no one can do anything to it.

However, improving torpedoes is difficult.

The most troublesome thing is that it uses compressed air to drive the turbine inside to drive the propeller, and the compressed air only has 21% oxygen, which determines that the range of the torpedo is only about 2 kilometers.

(Note: The early Whitehead torpedo had a range of only 640 meters, which gradually developed to 10 kilometers later)

If you want to increase the range of a torpedo, there seems to be no other way except to increase its volume and load more compressed air.

Unless, as with the Brennan torpedo, it was powered by wires, which in principle would allow the torpedo to be fired farther.

But that is only "in principle". In actual combat, the length of the wire has the problem of breaking under its own weight, which also determines that its range is unlikely to exceed 2 kilometers.

2 kilometers, this number is like a curse, tightly circling Wells' head and making it impossible for him to surpass it.

All designers and all design plans cannot do it.

Wells became more and more upset the more he looked at it. Finally, he simply threw all the designs aside, stood up angrily, took out a cigar from his arms and cursed irritably: "It's all garbage. Some people even want to replace air with oxygen. Don't they know that this will blow themselves up?"

At this time, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door.

Wells knew it was Tijani, and he was confused. Shouldn't Tijani be in the city defense headquarters?

Just as he was thinking about it, Tijani pushed the door open and almost trotted to Wells' desk, saying breathlessly, "Father, we may have a way to improve the torpedo!"

Wells smiled and sat back in his chair. Just you, a major general in the army?

Tijani didn't explain. He glanced at the desk, flipped through the documents and sketches, took out two of them and placed them in front of Wells: "Father, look at this, what do you think of it?"

"What?" Wells asked coldly.

The two pictures in front of you are one of the traditional Whitehead torpedo and the other of the "Brennan torpedo". What else could it be?

Tijani didn't say anything. He picked up the white-headed torpedo and tore off the blank tail with a "snap", then put it on the "Brennan torpedo"...

Wells was stunned at first, then his pupils gradually dilated: "Wire-guided? Wire-guided white-headed torpedo?"

"Yes!" Tijani nodded heavily. "We only control it but don't transmit electricity, so we only need to bring a very thin and light wire and a battery that doesn't require much power to control the white-headed torpedo."

Tijani nodded thoughtfully. The wires were also a big problem.

If only control commands are transmitted without transmitting electricity, it can be made thinner. Thinner means lighter weight, and lighter weight means it can be launched farther.

But soon, Wells's fiery eyes dimmed again. It didn't make much sense for the wire to be connected further. There was still not enough air, and this was the key.

Tijani seemed to see through Wells's thoughts. He continued, "Father, in terms of range, what Charles means is that if we can't find something else to replace air, then find something else to replace explosives and fuel."

"Explosives and fuel?" Wells looked at Tijani in confusion.

"Yes!" Tijani explained excitedly, "For example, a more powerful explosive formula only requires a smaller volume to blow through a battleship with the same amount of explosives. The same is true for fuel. If you can save space for both explosives and fuel, you can install more compressed air."

Wells' eyes lit up.

It's a very novel idea and the principle is very simple, but everyone's attention is focused on the difficulty of compressing the air and ignoring the explosives and fuel which are easier to improve.

Thinking of this, Wells couldn't help but show his joy.

He found that it was the right decision to support Charles, as his talent could bring about earth-shaking changes to the navy!

(End of this chapter)