Better functioning American Torpedoes in 1941-1942

[wemayberry]

Okay this question has more then likely been asked but the search function is giving me fits right now. So are then any threads on American torpedoes functioning better in the opening stages of America's entry in WW2? Please post links.

If not then what might be the effects of some of hits by duds turning into live hits ? One spot might be the Shokaku at the battle of Coral Sea where she was hit by several aerial torpedoes that failed to explode. If a couple of them had,combined with the damage from the divebombers the Shokaku might have been sunk changing the balance of power assuming Midway goes according to OTL.

 

[Mostlyharmless]

The previous threads include https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=109950 and https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=134319. AFAIK there was no problem with the exploder of the USN air dropped torpedoes. The problems with the Mark 13 were that they did not survive unless dropped low and slow and that they ran slower than other nations torpedoes (33 knots). The last was probably connected with the short fat shape necessary for internal stowage. AFAIK Shokaku at Coral Sea evaded all of the 20 torpedoes aimed at her, possibly helped by their slow speed.

 

[HMS Warspite]

US torpedoes in general (also the ones for use on ships and submarines) tended to be unreliable in service in the early waryears. The primary reason for this was the lack of money put in the development and maintenance of the torpedo as a weapon between the wars, mainly due to the results of the Depression, which saw much of the defensebudget vapourising for other urgent things. Unlike the japanese, the US were not fully commited to the torpedo as primary weapon of war at sea, so they used the scarce dollars available for the defense as a whole for other objectives mainly, which were not torpedoes in this case.