How Torpedo Boats Evolved From Spars to Missiles

From Civil War spar torpedo boats to missile-armed fast attack craft, this documentary explains how small, fast boats evolved to threaten warships many times their size. Across 16 torpedo-boat types, the video follows the development of the self-propelled Whitehead torpedo, second- and first-class torpedo boats, large seagoing designs, the torpedo-boat destroyer, British Coastal Motor Boats, Italian MAS boats, British MTBs, German Schnellboote, American PT boats, Soviet G-5 planing boats, postwar diesel boats, and hydrofoil torpedo boats. The final stage shows why the classic surface torpedo boat began disappearing as anti-ship missiles allowed fast attack craft to strike from much farther away. 0:00 Spar Torpedo Boats 1:56 Torpedo Launches and Tender-Carried Boats 4:01 Second-Class Torpedo Boats 6:00 First-Class Torpedo Boats 8:21 Seagoing and Large Torpedo Boats 10:32 The Torpedo-Boat Destroyer 12:10 Coastal Motor Boats 14:00 Motor Torpedo Boats 16:06 Italian MAS Boats 18:05 British MTBs 20:12 German Schnellboote 22:18 American PT Boats 24:32 Soviet Planing Torpedo Boats 26:21 Post-War Diesel Torpedo Boats 28:02 Hydrofoil Torpedo Boats 29:23 Missile Boats and the End of the Classic Torpedo Boat Which torpedo-boat design do you think achieved the best balance of speed, firepower, range, and survivability? #NavalHistory #TorpedoBoats #MilitaryHistory