Brenann Torpedo

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THE BRENANN TORPEDO

Development of the Brennan Torpedo

The Brennan Torpedo was was designed by Louis Brennan and a working version was available by 1878. The following year the Royal Navy carried out a successful test in Hobsons Bay, Melbourne, Australia but the device was not found unsuitable for shipborne use. In 1881 the Royal Engineers examined the Brennan Torpedo at Chatham and strongly recommended its adoption. Over the next three years the Brennan Torpedo was tested and further developed and in 1884 it was formerly adopted as a harbour defence weapon.

Brennan Torpedo Stations

In 1891 It was intended to build 15 stations as indicated in a report to the Director of Artillery. We have now completed or in progress 7 installations viz. Thames (Cliffe), Medway (Garrison Pt), Portsmouth (Cliff End/Fort Albert), Plymouth (Pier Cellars/Cawsand Bay), Cork Harbour (Fort Camden), Malta (Tigné and Ricasoli). Further sites proposed as funds become available at Plymouth (Bovisand), Milford Haven, Clyde, Forth, Falmouth, Hong Kong, Singapore and St Lucia. The first seven were completed but out of the other eight only the one at Hong Kong was completed. The plans for two installations at Dale Point and Great Castle Head, Milford Haven were drawn up but not carried out. Four Brennan installations were added to existing fortifications at Fort Albert on the Isle of Wight, Cliffe Fort on the Thames, Garrison Point at the entrance to The Medway and at Fort Ricasoli at the entrance to the Grand Harbour at Malta. With the exception of Ricasoli, the design of these was constrained by the existing structure and resulted in unique designs. In addition the ones at Fort Camden at Cork and Tigné at Malta together with proposed designs for Milford Haven followed a very similar layout while the Installations at Lei Yue Mun in Hong Kong and Pier Cellars at Plymouth were individual designs.

Lei Yue Mun Redoubt in Hong Kong

Cliffe Fort on the River Thames

Garrison Point Fort on the Medway

Fort Albert at Portsmouth covering the Needles Passage

Piers Cellars at Plymouth

Fort Camden at Cork Harbour

Fort Tigne covering Marsamzett Harbour in Malta

Fort Ricasoli covering the Grand Harbour in Malta

Original Brennan Torpedo, Royal Engineers Museum.

The video on the right was prepared by the Royal Engineers Museum and contains some original images of the Brennan Torpedo. The Museum exhibits a surviving example of a Brennan Torpedo.

The vide clip on the left shows in some detail how the Brennan Torpedo was controlled after it was launched. Arguably the first guided missile operationally deloyed.