History

Basic information from the history of torpedo factory in Rijeka

In 1853, several entrepreneurs from Rijeka began to realize the idea of building a new factory, a metal foundry, so they founded an anonymous stock company called “Fonderia Metalli”. Rijeka did not have that kind of engineering industry up to that time.

R. Whitehead

The new factory “Fonderie Metalli” strated to work in 1853/1854, it was situated in the western part of the city. Primarily, it produced anchors and it did repair work on iron steam ships. The owners of “Fonderie” very soon realized that to fully activate the foundry, a team of experts would be needed and so in Trieste they noticed a young English engineer Robert Whitehead who worked there. He accepted the invitation to transfer to the factory in Rijeka in 1856/57. Whitehead took over the factory management, formally entered the managing board and reorganized and expands the production. He gave a new name to the factory: “Stabilimento Tecnico di Fiume”. The factory started to produce ship steam boilers and engines, which were the most modern products of that era. Later one, steel steam ships were also produced.

G. B. Luppis

Almost simultaneously, at the beginning of 1860’s, Giovanni Biagio Luppis, born in Rijeka, returned to retire in his city after a successful career in Austrian navy. Here he tried to realize his long-time idea of the “coast saviour” (salvacoste), a new naval weapon which could be effective at long distance. G.B. Luppis did not have any technical knowledge or financial means for development and perfection of his project, so in 1864 he contacted Robert Whitehead who could, with his expert knowledge and technical possibilities of Rijeka Stabilimento, realize “salvacosta” as an efficient naval weapon.

Based on Luppis’ idea, Whitehead developed a new product and called it “torpedo”. Construction and manufacture of torpedo was helped by a technician, Annibale Ploech and Whitehead’s son John. Development of new original torpedo prototype lasted till the end of 1866, so first tests were made on 20 December 1866. Additional works on perfection of torpedo took place till the spring of 1868. Gunboat “Gemse” was adapted for launching in Rijeka shipyard Schiavon. The ship was equipped with a launching barrel, which was Whitehead’s invention. More than 50 torpedo launchings were performed in front of the factory, in Rijeka bay. The gunboat’s commander was a frigate lieutenant, Georg Hoyos, who later married Robert Whitehead’s daughter Alice.

First torpedoes from Rijeka were called Luppis-Whitehead torpedo, later they were called Whitehead torpedo, that name was kept for almost a hundred years, up to the time of invention and development of modern torpedoes.

Torpedo factory, Rijeka 1905.

The invention from Rijeka was generally regarded as a promising one, but in the first years of production there were not enough orders, so “Stabilimento” went through a crisis and bankrupted in 1873, R. Whitehead took it over and at the beginning of 1875 transformed it into a private company called “Torpedo- Fabrik von Robert Whitehead”. At he beginning of 20th century the company transformed a stock company “Whitehead & Co.”, Societa in Azioni. Robert Whithead was after his death in 1905 succeeded by count Edgar Hoyos, son of Georg Hoyos. English family companies Vickers Ltd. and Armstrong- Whitworth & Co. bought the company from Whitehead family ancestors, so it remained in English hands till the beginning of World War I.

The torpedo factory from Rijeka established many affiliates all over the world. It also entered into contracts on torpedo manufacture in Weymouth, England (1891), Newport, USA (1892), La Spezia, Italy (1907), “Lessner & Obukoff”, Russia (1910), St. Tropez, France (1913), Napoli, Italy (1914). In 1934, the company’s management decides to establish a new factory in Livorno, Italy, called “Societa Anonima Motofides”.

After the World War I, when new borders between Yugoslavia and Italy were formed, the western part of the city, in which the factory was situated, was assigned to Italy, so the Italian military industry entered in the production of torpedoes in 1924. The factory was given a new name, “Societa di esercizio Stabilimenti Whitehead”, and from 1930, “Silurificio Whitehead di Fiume” S.A.

Immediately after the Second World War, in 1945, the factory was partially repaired for work and its name was changed into ”Jadran”. One part of its production was devoted to various consumer goods (such as padlocks, lighters, burners) and another to military production (torpedo, launching tubes). Thepreparations were also made for the production of diesel engines and in 1947 the first diesel engine of 7-9 HP was produced under the name of “Torpedo Motor” (Torpedo Engine). Between the years 1950 and 1953 the factory was called “Poduze}e Aleksandar Rankovi}”. The yearly turn out was 2000 engines called “Aran”.

In 1953 the factory's name was changed into “Torpedo Engine Factory”. There were two parallel productions, one military, the torpedo production, while the other was devoted to the development of different kinds of diesel engines, vehicles, tractors, etc. Different types of engines were developed, of their own construction and of foreign license. The factory expanded its programme of diesel engines in 1965 and developed mechanical excavators, loaders, lorries and tractors. In round 1966 the factory discontinued its military production. The production of air-cooled diesel engines in cooperation with the Duetz company from Köln, started in 1975. The factory products were marketed worldwide. The production of different types of tractors of the factory’s own construction, based on these engines, started in 1985. Different types of vehicles for specific purposes and lorries were developed in 1990's. In the last few years, due to numerous transition economy and marketing problems, the factory has undergone a crisis and gone bankrupt.

According to the available records, 20.323 pieces of torpedo, 1.053 launching tubes and 1.368 high-pressure compressors were produced in the torpedo factory in Rijeka from 1866 till the August of 1943. The factory’s yearly turn out capacity was round 1.000 pieces of torpedo; before the First World War round 800 pieces of torpedo were produces in a year, in 1942, 1.170 pieces of torpedo were produced, the record turn out in 1943 were 160 pieces of torpedo in a month. The torpedo production was discontinued in 1966.

Whitehead launching tubeon "Seehund", 1870.

In its 150-year long tradition, the torpedo factory in Rijeka has marked the town with its know-how. All until recently, Rijeka was a worldwide known town in the supply of the latest technical goods and the licence for their production, a world centre of the high-tech industry. The Rijeka torpedo factory has been the birthplace of innovative technological solutions, their employees the élite of the Rijeka industrial engineers and workers, while the myth of the precise skilled workmen of this factory is still alive.