An item referred to the Admiralty and Horse Guards Gazette reporting that the British captain Wilson (1) invented an improvement of the submerged broadside torpedo launcher type Polyphemis consisting of adding a new shield with a guide rod. The cruiser HMS Mersey (2) was the first ship fitted out with the improved launchers.
Notes
1, Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson, 3rd Baronet (4 March 1842 Swaffham, England-25 May 1921 Swaffham, England) served between 1855-1911 and dismissed in the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. Involved in developing the Whitehead torpedo as member of a special committee in 1870. Assistant Director of Torpedoes at the Admiralty in April 1887. Commanded the torpedo school HMS Vernon in 1876 with as special tasks (re)writing torpedo manuals, improving devices and torpedoes and developing mine warfare. Commanded the Experimental Torpedo Squadron in 1895.
2. Of the Mersey-class 2nd class protected cruisers, laid down at the Chatham, Dockyard on 9 July 1883, launched on 31 March 1885, commissioned in June 1887 and sold to be broken up on 4 April 1905.
