Editing Torpedo boat (section)

==First torpedo boats==
[[File:HMS Lightning - Torpedo Boat 1877.jpg|thumb|{{HMS|Lightning|1876|6}}, the first modern torpedo boat, built in 1876]]
During the mid-19th century, the [[ships of the line]] were superseded by large steam powered ships with heavy gun armament and heavy armour, called [[ironclad warship|ironclads]]. Ultimately this line of development led to the [[dreadnought]] class of all-big-gun battleship, starting with {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}}.

At the same time, the weight of armour slowed the battleships, and the huge guns needed to penetrate enemy armour fired at very slow rates. This allowed for the possibility of a small and fast ship that could attack the battleships, at a much lower cost. The introduction of the [[torpedo]] provided a weapon that could cripple, or even sink, any battleship.

The first warship of any kind to carry self-propelled torpedoes was [[HMS Vesuvius (1874)|HMS ''Vesuvius'']] of 1873. The first seagoing vessel ''designed'' to fire the self-propelled [[Torpedo#Self-propelled torpedoes|Whitehead torpedo]] was {{HMS|Lightning|1876|6}}. The boat was built by [[John I. Thornycroft & Company|John Thornycroft]] at Church Wharf in [[Chiswick]] for the [[Royal Navy]]. It entered service in 1876 and was armed with self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes.

[[File:Torpedoboat rap 1873.png|thumb|Another early torpedo boat, {{HNoMS|Rap|1873|6}}]]
As originally built, ''Lightning'' had two [[Drzewiecki drop collar|drop collars]] to launch torpedoes; these were replaced in 1879 by a single torpedo tube in the bow. She carried also two reload torpedoes amidships. She was later renamed ''Torpedo Boat No. 1''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Chesneau, Roger and Eugène Kolesnik|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|year=1979|isbn=0-85177-133-5}}</ref> The French Navy followed suit in 1878 with ''Torpilleur No 1'', launched in 1878 though she had been ordered in 1875.

Another early such ship was the Norwegian warship {{HNoMS|Rap|1873|6}}, ordered from Thornycroft shipbuilding company, England, in either 1872 or 1873, and built at Thornycroft's shipyard at Church Wharf in [[Chiswick]] on the [[River Thames]]. Managing a speed of {{convert|14.5|kn|km/h|0}}, she was one of the fastest boats afloat when completed. The Norwegians initially planned to arm her with a [[spar torpedo]], but this may never have been fitted. ''Rap'' was outfitted with launch racks for the new self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes in 1879.