Bliss-Leavitt Mark 4 torpedo
| Bliss-Leavitt Mark 4 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-surface ship torpedo[1] |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1908–1922[1] |
| Used by |  United States Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Frank McDowell Leavitt |
| Designed | 1908[1] |
| Manufacturer | E. W. Bliss Company |
| No. built | 100 |
| Variants | Mod 1[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | approximately 1500 pounds[1] |
| Length | 197 inches (5.0 meters)[1] |
| Diameter | 17.7 inches (45 centimeters)[1] |
Detonation mechanism | War Nose Mk 1 contact exploder[1] |
| Engine | Vertical turbine[1] |
Guidance system | gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | submarines[1] |
The Bliss-Leavitt Mark 4 torpedo was a Bliss-Leavitt torpedo developed and produced by the E. W. Bliss Company in 1908. It was the first American-built torpedo specifically designed to be launched from a submarine.[2] About 100 Mark 4s were purchased for experimental purposes by the United States Navy, which led to design improvements to the gyro and the reducing valve. The Mark 4 and all other torpedoes designed before the Bliss-Leavitt Mark 7 torpedo, were considered obsolete and withdrawn from service in 1922. [1]