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The problem was that the USN wouldn’t even admit that there was a problem for a long time.

What’s the old saying: the first step in solving a problem is admitting you have a problem. In reading Neptune”s Inferno it turns out that it wasn’t just our submarine’s torpedos that didn’t work, the ones on destroyers didn’t work either. In contrast the Japanese Long Lance was very effective.

I know torpedos are expensive, but didn’t the Navy test them before sending them out to the fleet?

I know torpedos are expensive, but didn’t the Navy test them before sending them out to the fleet?

I read that we tested two - one failed - so we went to war with a weapon that had a 50% failure rate.

Pre-WWII the military was starved for funds - I remember seeing war games with trucks having the word "TANK" painted on the sides.

[sidebar] 1950s sub service. We fired a torpedo that shot straight out - and straight down. The torpedomen forgot to remove the heavy bronze prop locks. A $10,000 contribution to Davy Jones Locker.