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Weapons Innovator Henrietta Bradberry Improves Submarine Warfare When discussing World War II, images are conjured of male soldiers on the front lines, laying down their lives in the name of freedom. Few people stop to consider the sacrifices of women that ensured Allied victory, and even less know the accomplishments of black women that changed the course of the war in America's favor. One such woman was a Chicago housewife named Henrietta Bradberry. In 1945, Bradberry received patent number 2,390,688 for her invention that changed the way submarine torpedoes were fired underwater. Bradberry's invention allowed torpedoes to be fired pneumatically (meaning pressurized air or gas fired the torpedo) while keeping important parts of the submarine's interior from being damaged or destroyed by water. Before Bradberry's innovation, Japanese forces sunk Allied ships with ease. The U.S. could rarely shoot a torpedo and sink its intended target – the weapons often failed to detonate, and when the torpedoes were fired there was no guarantee the intended target would be hit. This changed when Bradberry drafted a patent for a device that would remedy the firing issues. An excerpt from her patent reads, "My invention described in the instant application appertains to torpedo discharge means, and is in part a continuation of my co-pending patent application Serial Number 525,692, filed March 9, 1944. "An important object, of the invention disclosed herein, is to provide torpedo discharge means operated pneumatically and adapted to discharge torpedoes below the surface of a body of water, the said torpedo discharge means being located in such water craft as submarines or in sub-terranian forts similar to the invention disclosed in my co-pending application serial number hereinabove designated. "Another object of my invention is to provide a torpedo discharge means which is adapted to automatically trip the [propelling] means of torpedoes discharged therethru concurrently with the initial travel or projection of the said torpedoes within the said discharge means. "Another object of my invention is to provide torpedo discharge means which will be operative to effectively and efficiently discharge torpedoes below the surface of a body of water, the said torpedo discharge means being provided with an outlet submerged below the surface of a body of water and extending thereinto; the said torpedo discharge means being so constructed as to prevent the water pressure from penetrating into the effective mechanism thereof. "Another object of my invention is to provide torpedo discharge means which is practical in its construction, [efficient] and useful in its operation, and of such simple construction that it can be produced economically in quantity production." The rest of Bradberry's patent can be viewed here: www.google.com/patents/US2390688. Her device also had three gears, so that multiple torpedoes could be fired at once, as opposed to the standard single charge of that era. According to The African American Experience, an American Online Mosaic Resource, Bradberry was quoted saying that "ideas just came" to her. Before Bradberry's death in 1979, her life as a homemaker afforded her the time she needed to not only come up with ideas, but to refine them for accuracy and make sure they met the requirements of the Patent Office. Although Bradberry's invention most likely had a direct effect on the United States' military successes during WWII, she was never compensated for her work. To this day, there is still hardly any recognition for her efforts during the war. And little else is known about her life or even what she looked like. However, the impact of her ingenuity cannot be erased from American history, even when Bradberry herself unfairly remains virtually invisible. By Tempest Wright A few other inventions by African Americans: Edmund Berger - invented the spark plug in 1839 Alice H. Parker - invented the central heating system in 1919 Richard Spikes - invented the automatic gear shift in 1932 Frederick M. Jones - invented the air conditioning unit in 1949 Dr. Henry T. Sampson - invented the cell phone in 1972 And many, many more! RICHARD SPIKES ALICE H. PARKER DR. HENRY T. SAMPSON