Show underwater traps there is nothing new in mine warfare in the thirty years war the british navy blockaded la rochelle by means 0 of f moored mines we used mines against the british in 1777 during the war of independence and they were used with effect in blockading french ports during the napoleonic wars during the nineteenth century every navy in the world experimented with mines sir charles pasley invented an electrically discharged mine in 1839 and in the robert whitehead introduced the first self propelling mine the torpedo in 1914 18 mines accounted for some ships and torpedoes destroyed four times as many but whatever new form mine warfare may take there will always be found an effective coun ter weapon |