"Damn the torpedoes" was spoken by Union Navy ADM David Farragut at the Battle of Mobile Bay in Aug, 1864. There is a floating marker on top of the USS Tecumseh which struck the torpedo (called mines today) and sank as the Union Fleet made its move passed Fort Morgan and into the bay.
Exactly. The torpedoes were made of watertight wood barrels and were submerged just under the low tide water level. They had anchors holding them in place. When a vessel came along and hit it, a striker would puncture a primer inside the barrel setting off the explosive. They looked similar to a beer barrel with spikes sticking out of it.
It is dazzle camoflage - it makes it very hard to tell what course the ship is on. It worked very well, if U-boot captains are to be believed.
That might be even more migraine inducing than the Nebraska!! Also, on a serious note. When viewed from a distance the pattern helps very effectively to break up the ship's outline, making it difficult to spot at all.
Indeed. It was felt that if such patterns could make shooting more difficult for the U-boat commanders, it was worth trying.
