Torpedo
A self-propelled underwater weapon that travels through water to attack ships or submarines, usually by detonating a warhead on contact or nearby.
Torpedo propulsion: The systems that drive a torpedo through water, including electric motors and thermal engines. Propulsion determines a torpedo’s speed, range, endurance, and acoustic signature.
Spar torpedo: An explosive charge mounted on a long pole and driven into an enemy vessel. This earlier weapon used the name torpedo before self-propelled underwater weapons emerged.
Submarine: A watercraft capable of operating underwater, including military vessels designed for covert missions. Submarines use torpedoes as a principal weapon against surface ships and other submarines.
Naval mine: An explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy vessels that approach or contact it. Unlike a torpedo, a naval mine usually waits in place rather than steering toward a target.
Battle of Tsushima: A decisive 1905 naval battle in which Japan defeated Russia in the Tsushima Strait. Torpedoes helped Japanese forces inflict severe damage on retreating Russian ships.
Torpedo guidance: The methods a torpedo uses to steer toward a target, including wire guidance and acoustic homing. Guidance lets a torpedo correct its course after launch and pursue moving targets.
Robert Whitehead: A British engineer who developed the first effective self-propelled torpedo in the 1860s. Whitehead’s design established the basic form of the modern torpedo.
Anti-submarine warfare: Military operations and technologies used to detect, track, deter, or destroy submarines. Torpedoes are a major means of attacking submarines once they have been detected.
Anti-ship missile: A guided missile designed to attack ships, typically traveling through the air above the water. Missiles trade underwater approach for high-speed flight and a different path through defenses.
Battle of Jutland: The largest naval battle of the First World War, fought between British and German fleets in 1916. Torpedo attacks shaped fleet maneuvering and threatened capital ships during the battle.