Hickman proposed a sea-sled torpedo boat to the US Navy in 1914, but the proposal was rejected while America remained at peace. The Admiralty found the concept interesting but doubted that a very short boat would be seaworthy enough for North Sea service. British officers then worked with Thornycroft on the coastal motor boat, while Hickman demonstrated a 41-foot craft carrying an 18-inch torpedo at high speed in rough winter conditions. The demonstration did not immediately produce a contract, while British officers pursued a design suited to their own operating requirements.
Chapter · 13:31-20:37
Hickman's sea sled and the birth of the coastal motor boat
An American sea-sled proposal helped inspire the British coastal motor boat, while the US Navy repeatedly delayed its own fast torpedo-boat development.