
The Drzewiecki drop collar was an external torpedo launching system most commonly used by the
French and
Imperial Russian Navies in the first two decades of the 20th century. It was designed by
Stefan Drzewiecki, a Polish engineer and inventor. He designed and built the first
submarine
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
in the world with electric battery-powered propulsion (1881).
Generally, the drop collar consisted of a metal framework that enclosed the torpedo that could be rotated to position it clear of the
hull preparatory to firing. More elaborate systems were equipped with an arm that could move the drop collar to the desired firing angle. The French deployed a twin system on the aft deck of the that could be rotated from 20° to 170° from the centerline on each side of the ship.
Sources
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*{{cite journal, last1=Smigielski , first1=Adam, title=Question 27/50: Drzwiecki Submarine Torpedo Drop Collars , journal=Warship International , date=2015 , volume=LII , issue=3 , pages=222–223 , issn=0043-0374
Torpedoes