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Here an interested info :

The first torpedoes with gyro system capable to change course after firing was selled to USA.

From :

A History of the Torpedo The Early Days
By Geoff Kirby

"Introduction of the Gyroscope

In 1895 came the first significant improvement to the torpedo since its invention. Whitehead introduced the gyroscope for azimuth control using the type invented by an Austrian, Ludwig Obry. In this device a 1.75 lb. wheel some 3in. in diameter was held in gimbals with its axis along that of the torpedo. The wheel was spun up to maximum speed 2,400 r.p.m. by means of a pretensioned spring. The wheel reached this speed before the weapon left the tube so that the torpedo followed the aimed-for track in the water irrespective of the impulsive forces acting on hitting the water. This greatly improved the overall accuracy of firing and with the new device fitted it was possible to fire to an accuracy of ~ thus enabling a beam-on target to be hit at a range of about 7,000 yards-except that torpedoes at that time had ranges not exceeding 1,000 yards.

This clearly provided a considerable impetus for torpedo designers to increase performance. The original Obry gyroscope wheel only contained a maximum of 20ft. - lbs. of energy. This had the effect of allowing the gyro to topple after an inconveniently short time of running. The toppling was induced by the fact that the gyroscope gimbals were required to directly operate a rudder servo control. Whitehead soon introduced an intermediate servo however which greatly reduced the forces acting on the gimbals and the way was then opened up for long range weapons.

The version of the Obry gyroscope supplied to the United States was provided with an angling gear which enabled the weapon to change course after firing, thus giving greater flexibility in the firing procedure. This refinement was introduced into the Royal Navy in 1900.

The turn of the century saw a radical change in torpedo design with the introduction of the heated, or steam torpedo. This is therefore an opportune time to study the torpedo development of nations, such as the United States, who did not adopt the Whitehead compressed air method of propulsion."


Here say Ludwig Obry was the inventor of the gyro system for torpedoes, but Petrovich at Russia made the same at same time, same year.

Initially, the gyroscopic stablilization was done for straight ahead torpedo runs, but quickly a two improvements was don, one was the servo rudder control, and the second was the capability to change course after firing.