HMS Centurion Sunk by Torpedo, The Battle of Dorking Era Naval War Fiction
Drawn from the tradition of late-Victorian future-war fiction inspired by works like George Chesney's 'The Battle of Dorking,' this dramatic illustration depicts the destruction of HMS Centurion, last of the British battleships, struck by a submarine torpedo in a catastrophic naval engagement. Lens-shaped aerial craft — proto-airships or flying machines — circle menacingly overhead while warships burn on the horizon. The churning sea, explosive water columns, and listing hulk convey total naval annihilation in a breathtaking vision of speculative technological warfare.
Britain's mightiest warship torn apart by unseen torpedoes while alien-sleek airships rule the sky — Victorian nightmare fuel at full steam. The empire burns, and the future has already arrived.
“"The Centurion, the last of the British battleships, was struck by one of the submarine torpedoes." To face p. 300.”
