Torpedo
About This Machine
The 1942 Bally Torpedo is not a pinball machine but a pellet gun game with a wartime naval combat theme, produced starting December 1941 with the earliest ads appearing in March 1942. The Torpedo showcases the wartime-themed amusement games of its era.
Gameplay is centered around a flat playfield that is entirely artwork depicting an aerial view of a naval battle, with battleships and fighter planes. At the top of the playfield, three targets bearing caricatures of Hitler, Hirohito, and Mussolini move along the edge, diving out of view and resurfacing to simulate a submarine. A pistol mounted on the front of the cabinet lets players shoot pellets at the targets, simulating torpedoes. Each target scores 100 points when unlit, rising to 1,000 points when all three are lit; target lights turn off when the submarine dives.
The Torpedo's design is notable for its bold wartime theme, likely influenced by the era's patriotic fervor. No manufacturer name appears on the backglass, which instead prominently displays the name TORPEDO along with its own depiction of the sea battle. With 125 shots available for five cents, this game required precision and skill, and remains a distinctive piece of WWII-era amusement history.
Images (4)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Aircraft - Combat - Military - Naval - Warfare - Wartime
- Model Number:
- 450
- Notable Features:
- 125 shots for 5 cents. The flat playfield has nothing attached to it but is entirely artwork depicting a battle at sea as seen from the air, with battleships and fighter planes. At top end of playfield, three targets inside a single housing move simultaneously along the playfield 's edge, diving out of player's view and re-surfacing to simulate a submarine. The targets have caricatures of the faces of Hitler, Hirohito, and Mussolini. No manufacturer name is present on the backglass which has the name TORPEDO in the very center and also depicts a battle at sea. A pistol is mounted into the front of cabinet to aim and shoot pellets at the moving submarine, simulating torpedoes. The goal is to shoot and hit the three targets to increase score. The targets light when hit. Each scores 100 points when unlit. When all three targets are lit, each scores 1000 points. Target lights turn off when submarine dives. There is an access door on the front end of each side of cabinet. Above the right-side access door, a large torpedo design can be unscrewed from the cabinet to reveal a long open slot in the wood through which the flat playfield can be slid in order to access the mechanisms beneath it. Sound: 1 bell.