The Brennan Torpedo Station

The Brennan Torpedo station at Lei Yue Mun was built between 1892 and 1894. It was hewn out of the rock of the headland and remains as a testament to the inventiveness of Louis Brennan, an Irish engineer. When a torpedo was to be launched it was moved sideways on a cradle to the top of the slipway. It was tipped forward, its four small wheels engaged with the slipway rails and it was locked in position. The wires were run through pulleys to the engine which, when running and winding in the wires, turned the propellers, as released, the torpedo moved down the slipway into the water. Like almost all of the other coastal defences at Lei Yue Mun, it never fired a shot in anger.