Скачать или смотреть Why US Submarines Failed 47% of the Time in WW2 | Mark 14 Torpedo Documentary

THE MARK 14 TORPEDO DISASTER: Why US Submarines Failed in Early WW2

From December 1941 to October 1943, US submarines had a shocking 47% torpedo failure rate. The Mark 14 torpedo—America's most advanced naval weapon—was fundamentally broken. And the Navy knew it.

*Three Fatal Flaws:*
1. Depth Control: Torpedoes ran 11 feet deeper than settings
2. Magnetic Exploder: Detonated randomly or not at all
3. Contact Exploder: Failed on direct perpendicular hits (40% dud rate)

*The Cover-Up:*
When submarine commanders like Dudley Morton and Frederick Warder reported systematic failures, the Bureau of Ordnance dismissed them. They blamed "operator error" and "improper maintenance" instead of admitting their weapon was defective.

Admiral Charles Lockwood conducted unauthorized tests proving the torpedo was broken. Even then, the Navy resisted fixes for months while submariners died with weapons they couldn't trust.

*The Cost:*
3,150 failed torpedoes (47% of all fired)
52 submarines lost
3,505 submariners killed (71% casualty rate—highest of any US service)
War potentially extended 6-12 months

This isn't just WW2 history—it's a case study in institutional failure and bureaucratic denial.

👍 LIKE if you learned something new
🔔 SUBSCRIBE for deep-dive military history
💬 COMMENT your thoughts below

#WW2 #MarkTorpedo #Submarines #MilitaryHistory #NavalHistory #documentary