I Love History and Archeology
Damn The Torpedoes! Full Speed Ahead!... The quote above by Admiral David Farragut refers to the mining of the USS Tecumseh in 1864 during the Battle of Mobile Bay. In the 1860s a torpedo was actual a mine and steam torpedoes such as the Whitehead torpedo were only a few short years away. The Admiral was having his crew in the USS Hartford go around the stopped USS Brooklyn which led right into the minefield so as to ensure the continuation of the naval assault on Mobile Bay Now whether he actually said these words are hard to say, but given his character, it is the sort of ex<x>pression he would have used.