Aluminium Torpedo Boat 1894

[qprdave]

Aluminium Torpedo Boat

Published in The London Times on October 1, 1894

[MelQuick]

Hi Dave

Interesting.

Instead of the saying "You're shaving with it now!" after it had gone, I suppose the stock answer would be, "You're cooking on it!"

Mel

[flyingdutchman]

Does anyone know the name of this vessel?
Ronald

[John Brown]

Does anyone know the name of this vessel?
Ronald

Ronald

I believe this vessel was 'Le Foudre'

In 1895 Yarrows also built a much larger aluminium torpedo boat for the Russian Navy called 'Sokol'.

Regards...John

[Mprints]

I found a reference to Le Foudre on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_seaplane_carrier_Foudre).
It says that it's the name of the the torpedo boat tender rather than the aluminium steam torpedo boat itself.
There's a nice photo of Le Foudre lifting a TB on its crane on Wiki.
The London Times article is fascinating and points to the future use of aluminium in naval vessels. It's particularly interesting as Saunder-Roe (Anglesey) Ltd built their experimental all aluminium Motor torpedo boat MTB 539 in the late 1940's (later P1602 in the Royal Navy). This was before they compny detail designed and became the principal contractor for the 'Dark Class' of the 1950's.

[Mprints]

Just found this (http://www.aluminiumleader.com/en/around/transport/ship) info about the Yarrow built aluminium torpedo boat for Russia named 'Falcoln' or 'Sokol'.
Dave Mills

[John Odom]

There was one USN PT boat, PT8. See:

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1938/United-States-Navy-PT-8-2114061/Franklin/LA/United-States

It has been for sale a while, maybe you could talk him down on the price.

[Mprints]

PT9 looks amazing. Thanks for letting me know about yet another earlier aluminium MTB than SARO 539. This has really messed up the title of my talk on 539 that I called "The World's First Aluminium MTB". I'll have to think of a new title now. Also have to alter my web page (http://dave-mills.yolasite.com/saunders-roe-mtb.php) too from World's First to maybe "Britain's First". I would like to see this one recovered and restored if it's still in reasonable condition after nearly 60 years under water.
Here are a couple of photos from the collection I have of 539 (P1602)

[John Brown]

I found a reference to Le Foudre on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_seaplane_carrier_Foudre).
It says that it's the name of the the torpedo boat tender rather than the aluminium steam torpedo boat itself.
There's a nice photo of Le Foudre lifting a TB on its crane on Wiki.
The London Times article is fascinating and points to the future use of aluminium in naval vessels. It's particularly interesting as Saunder-Roe (Anglesey) Ltd built their experimental all aluminium Motor torpedo boat MTB 539 in the late 1940's (later P1602 in the Royal Navy). This was before they compny detail designed and became the principal contractor for the 'Dark Class' of the 1950's.

There certainly does seem to have been a TB tender named 'Foudre'. However as no one else has so far come up with an alternative name for the TB itself I offer this piece from 'Alcan Marine' in support of it having been 'Le Foudre'......

'Inspired by experience with the Vendenesse, the holders of the America Cup had the skin of their boat “ Defender” made from aluminium. With its weight thus reduced, it won the America Cup unopposed in September 1895(figure 3).Navies too took an interest in aluminium. Thus it was that in 1894 the French navy placed an order for a torpedo-boat, “ Le Foudre”, with the British shipyard Yarrow & Co. This vessel had a length of 19 metres, a beam of 2.80 metres and a draft of 1.45 metres with a displacement of 14 tonnes. The bare hull weighed just 2500 kg. The skin and frames were made from aluminium sheet 1 to 5 mm thick[4]'.

Regards...John