Comments by "Doug JB" (@dougjb7848) on "The Origins of the Torpedo - That which lurks beneath..." video.
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Fun facts: the Austrian navy passed on Whitehead’s torpedo, and the RN were next in line.
But the Whitehead family maintained a close connection to Austria, even after Robert died.
In the early 1900s, one of Robert’s daughters established a summer home in Erlhof, Austria.
On 10 February 1909, Agathe Whitehead, one of Robert’s granddaughters, journeyed from Erlhof to Fiume (today Rijeka) to christen the Austrian submarine SM U-5.
During the party that followed, she met a handsome and intelligent Austrian naval captain. In 1911 they were married.
Less than 4 years later, the RN was again at war and using Whitehead-derived torpedoes … against the Austrian navy.
During that war, Agatha’s husband became the most successful submarine captain … including command of U-5, and using Whitehead-derived torpedoes … against the Triple Entente.
Nevertheless, Agatha and her husband had seven children, but Agatha died in 1922, when the youngest was a toddler.
The captain later took a second wife, who was originally the children’s governess — a young woman named Maria.
The Austrian captain’s name? George Ritter von Trapp.
Robert Whitehead’s great-grandchildren were the von Trapp family singers … several of whom went on to serve in the US Army during WW2.
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