Cub Driver wrote:

On 15 Sep 2004 23:25:48 -0700, (Eunometic)
wrote:


The US Navy had fallen well behined in torpedo technology.


It was not just the performance specs, either. The USN torpedoes were
inacurrate, often running so deep that they passed under the enemy
ship. More than one American sub was sunk by its own torpedo. See
www.warbirdforum.com/okane.htm

Dick O'Kane (the subject of that book review) recalled that when word
went back to Washington about the faulty torpedoes, the brass blamed
the sub skippers for their tactics rather than examing the torpedo for
defects.

Until Dan Daspit gave them incontrovertable evidence...

While commanding USS Tinosa, Daspit came upon the Japanese oil tanker
(converted from a whaling factory ship) Tonan Maru #2. He fired two torpedos,
one of which exploded at the stern, leaving Tonan Maru dead in the water. No
escorts being evident, Daspit surfaced to finish her off. Torpedo after torpedo
was fired, with result varying from clean misses, to circular runs, to clean
hits that did not explode. In all, Tinosa fired 12 torpedoes at a stationary
target, of which none functioned as designed.

Fortunately, Daspit had a movie camera on board and filmed the whole operation.
The film caused some consternation back at Pearl.
--
Marc Reeve
Some guy at a desk somewhere ^reverse^ for email