3. The Mark 14 torpedo failures crippled American efforts
To call the Mark 14 torpedo problematic during the first year of the war is an understatement. Long before America entered the war, political and contractor controversies arose over its development. Congressmen squabbled over where it would be built, and by whom. Navy input to the debate was overridden by political concerns. By the time the United States entered the war an acute shortage of torpedoes plagued the Navy. Japanese bombing of the Asiatic Fleet’s base at Cavite Bay in the Philippines destroyed a significant portion of that fleet’s inventory. Torpedo shortages exacerbated the submarine commanders’ desire to conserve available weapons, not wanting to waste them on lesser targets.
Another problem existed with the Mark 14’s fired at enemy targets. Skipper after skipper returned from patrols with reports of torpedoes hitting their targets and failing to explode. Others reported premature explosions, and others the rather nasty tendency of the weapon turning back at the submarine which had fired it. The weapon also had a tendency to run at a deeper depth than prescribed. Submariners risked their lives to deliver the weapon on target, only to have it fail. The Navy’s Bureau of Ordnance blamed the submariners. The acute shortage of torpedoes prevented adequate testing of the weapon. Congress demanded a resolution to the problem, for which they shared a large portion of responsibility. Meanwhile, 1942 dragged on, and submarine casualties mounted in the Pacific.