Military Model Scene

Title: Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels, 1870-1914
Author: Les Brown
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-3990-2285-9

Not only the early self-propelled torpedoes but also the early steam powered torpedo boats that could launch them is a new release from Seaforth Publishing. A 192-page hardback book, though also available in e-book formats.
I have to start by saying I knew essentially nothing about these vessels before reading this book. At the start it explains the differences between Moored, Towed and Spar torpedoes and their designs. The Moored torpedo is better known now simply as a mine, then there were Towed torpedoes, deployed in a way that reminded me of the later minesweeper gear, while the Spar Torpedo was deployed on a long pole, a type first used in action in the American Civil War. Then we get to the new self-propelled torpedoes, and the design & development of the Whitehead Torpedo and the tubes needed to launch them. They also had contra-rotating propellers which help keep them on a straight course once they were launched. As well as the detail of the torpedoes themselves, we also learn about the vessels that were designed to carry and launch them. Steam powered, they were quite small, but had a punch that could threaten even the largest warships. There are both First- and Second-Class ships, along with smaller Torpedo Gunboats and the ones I found particularly fascinating, the Torpedo Depot Ships of Hecla and Vulcan, which could support a flotilla, and carry additional boats on their decks. With detail of the designs of the vessels themselves, the launching gear and their steam powerplants there are plenty of illustrations from the collection of the National Maritime Museum which show great detail and also plenty of archive images as well. Additional detail on their equipment and performance is provided in a number of Appendices which all add to the story to complete the picture.
The author spent his working life with the warship builder Vosper Thorneycroft as well as having a keen modelling interest. I learnt a lot from this one, another excellent addition to the range of naval themed books by Seaforth Publishing and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I am not an engineer, but lots of detail explained in ways I found easy to understand. Naval historians and modellers will all like this one I think.
Thanks to Seaforth Publishing and Pen & Sword books for the review copy.

Robin