EB Hunt was an officer stationed at Key West in 1861. After the battle of Head of Passes Hunt witnessed the Richmond limping back into harbor. Accounmts from sailors informed him that a new class of vessels needed to be contended with - the iron clads, the damage in this battle being done by the Confederate ram Manassas. Hunt was by all accounts brilliant. He soon devised a rocket propelled torpedo which was intended to hit an iron clad four or more feet below the water line where there was no iron protection.
Thanks to very intelligent and high placed friends, he got the ear of the secretary of the navy, who basically gave Hunt the green light to develop the weapon. The torpedo was extremely secret and Hunt took pains to keep it that way. Unfortuantely, virtually no original data survives to this day.
Rockets had been used in Europe and Asia for over 100 years at that time. Hunts invention was thought to be revolutionary because it is very difficult to maintain speed going from air to water and just going through water. Further, others had tried to spin air rockets so they would act like a rifled projectile - but had little success. Rockets were erratic - some military applications actually made the unpredictability desirable, but Hunt needed the torpedo to be accurate. He allegedly carved grooves into the sides of the torpedo so when it was propelled forward it would spin. The rocket was believed to be capable of reaching a speed of 1500km/hr and could travel for more than 10 miles (but not underwater).
Hunt died working on the torpedo before it could be deployed. Few people knew of the rockets existence and fewer knew how it all worked. When he died the project died as well. Yet, no one would better him in terms of a design for over 80 years.
Its unfortunate that so little is know of this weapon.
There is a book "Sea Miner" by Chuck Velt and Civil War Radio's Podcast interviews the author in episode 1221
Thanks to very intelligent and high placed friends, he got the ear of the secretary of the navy, who basically gave Hunt the green light to develop the weapon. The torpedo was extremely secret and Hunt took pains to keep it that way. Unfortuantely, virtually no original data survives to this day.
Rockets had been used in Europe and Asia for over 100 years at that time. Hunts invention was thought to be revolutionary because it is very difficult to maintain speed going from air to water and just going through water. Further, others had tried to spin air rockets so they would act like a rifled projectile - but had little success. Rockets were erratic - some military applications actually made the unpredictability desirable, but Hunt needed the torpedo to be accurate. He allegedly carved grooves into the sides of the torpedo so when it was propelled forward it would spin. The rocket was believed to be capable of reaching a speed of 1500km/hr and could travel for more than 10 miles (but not underwater).
Hunt died working on the torpedo before it could be deployed. Few people knew of the rockets existence and fewer knew how it all worked. When he died the project died as well. Yet, no one would better him in terms of a design for over 80 years.
Its unfortunate that so little is know of this weapon.
There is a book "Sea Miner" by Chuck Velt and Civil War Radio's Podcast interviews the author in episode 1221