Q&A · 1:26:08-1:26:27

Acoustic homing for the Long Lance

A counterfactual gives the U.S. Navy far heavier early losses if Japan's Long Lance torpedoes could home acoustically.

Question

How would World War II change if Japan's Long Lance torpedoes had acoustic homing?

Short answer

The U.S. Navy would lose substantially more ships, more quickly, and face a serious tactical crisis.

Notes

The Type 93 already combined long range with a powerful warhead and limited warning. Adding acoustic homing would make evasive maneuver less effective after launch. The United States Navy would lose many more ships much earlier as a result. Those losses could place the fleet in genuine operational trouble rather than merely worsening individual engagements. This counterfactual shows how guidance can magnify an existing weapon's strategic effect without changing its basic propulsion or warhead.