The Museum of Naval Firepower at Priddy’s Hard in Gosport has discovered the man responsible for inventing the depth charge, the depth charge pistol, Chariots, ‘X’ craft, demolitions and many other miscellaneous weapons, which have been and are still in use with the Royal Navy. The depth charge was a fundamental part of anti-submarine warfare during World War Two. The unknown inventor was Herbert Taylor who worked at HMS Vernon, where Gunwharf Quays is today. A rare prototype Depth Charge Thrower that he helped to design and other versions can now be seen on display at the award winning Museum of Naval Firepower at Gosport.
Chris Henry, Curator of The Museum of Naval Firepower said, “It is often overlooked how or where the depth charge was developed. It has only now come to light that the man responsible for their design was a frenetic inventor who is unknown outside the world of underwater weapons.”
“The depth charge was such as successful device that it attracted the attention of the United States who requested full working drawings of the devices in March 1917. In a sinister sidestep the depth charge was patented in the US by Commander Fullinwider of the US Bureau of Naval Ordnance and US Navy engineer Minkler.”
“This unusual procedure was undertaken during the war time to prevent the delay which would otherwise have occurred from negotiation at that time, and to effect a complete cooperation with the United States. The American government appears to have used this procedure to avoid paying any fees to the British inventor.”
In spite of not being paid anything for his invention, Taylor continued to invent devices for the Royal Navy and was actually called out of retirement to join the Admiralty design team in 1939 and continued to design and develop weapons throughout World War 2.
Whenever one sees the an image of the Battle of the Atlantic the powerful images of fleet escorts rushing in to attack U boats is a common sight. Crews shrouded in overcoats buffeted by winds on huge green seas, wrestle with mechanical devices on the rear of their ship and deliver what appears to be oil drums over the stern of the ship. Those drums are the ubiquitous depth charge Mark VII, which were basically a 132kg charge of explosive set of by a pistol that went off at a given depth by a hydrostatic device set on deck before release.
These weapons were such a fundamental part of anti-submarine warfare during World War Two, it is often overlooked how or where they were developed. What is surprising is that the man responsible for their design was a member of staff at HMS Vernon and was a frenetic inventor he is little known outside the world of underwater weapons and his name was Herbert Taylor.
Taylor was born in Claygate in Surrey and was by trade an engineer and this led him to run an engineering business in Wandsworth London. As his wife pointed out in a newspaper article in the London Star: ‘Whenever Mrs. Herbert Taylor thinks of something that she would like to have done about the house she merely mentions it to her husband, and it is as good as done.’
She continued ‘He has made the clocks. He has made the radio set. He has made a double needled sewing machine. If his daughter’s harp needed repairing he fixes that too.’
If we contrast this with the retirement letter written by WW Davis, Director of Torpedoes and Mining at the Admiralty:
‘You have served with us since 1945. You have been associated with the development of the depth charge, the depth charge pistol, the principle of which still holds the field, Chariots, ‘X’ craft, demolitions, and many other miscellaneous weapons, which have been and are in use with the Royal Navy.’
This letter was written on 5th December 1945.
This was no ordinary inventor and Taylor seemed to have an aptitude for developing ideas and making them happen. It may be that this was born of his interest in motor cars and their engineering which lasted his whole life. He was the inventor of the depth charge and the depth charge pistol, the hydrostatic device that fired the explosive charge. Taylor worked on the idea of the depth charge pistol in his own workshops early in 1915 and produced a working prototype that he submitted to the Admiralty in that year. Taylor’s idea allowed the depth setting of the pistol to be adjusted for different depths at five feet intervals and the Admiralty tested it is 1915 on extensive sea trials. Taylor was induced to join the Admiralty design department and when he did so he came into contact with Alban L. Gwynne who was the inventor of the Primer Safety Gear and with whom he developed a fully functioning depth charge.
The depth charge was such as successful device that it obviously attracted the attention of other allied nations. Foremost among them was the government of the United States who requested full working drawings of the devices through the naval Attache’s office on March 23rd 1917. The US government also requested working models of the weapon. It was made clear at the time by the British government that the patent rights of the designers were not waived by this action. Consequently the navy went on to produce 54,996 depth charge pistols and 49,996 safety priming devices for depth charges. In a sinister sidestep both devices were patented in the US by Commander Fullinwider of the US Bureau of Naval Ordnance and US Navy engineer Minkler. The unusual procedure was undertaken during the war time emergency to prevent the delay which would otherwise have occurred from negotiation at that time, and to effect a complete cooperation with the United States in the design and manufacture of mines and depth charges. It is not clear if the American government paid any fees to the British inventors and at the time the Admiralty stated ‘the inventors were not given the opportunity to take out patents in the USA, but the Admiralty did not allow possible prejudice to the inventors’ interests which might follow the communication of the inventions to the USA to stand in the way of the most complete cooperation with the USA in the design and manufacture of mines and depth charges.’
In contrast the British defence firm Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. were to pay a total of £60000 to the inventors of the two devices plus an additional one invented later.
In spite of this unpleasantness, Taylor continued to invent devices for the Royal Navy and was actually called out of retirement to join the Admiralty design team in 1939 and as we have seen he continued to design and develop weapons throughout World War 2.
In a letter written to Vickers Armstrong in 1967 Mrs.Taylor wrote to find out whether they were going to be paying any more royalties to her in respect of her late husband’s design’s the company wrote back stating that all their duties had been discharged. We can only assume therefore, that Taylor did not receive anything from the United States government.
The Museum of Naval Firepower, Explosion! at Priddy’s Hard holds examples of Taylor’s device and some of his personal papers.
