Every American torpedo missed, but that result does not show that the Mark 15 itself failed. The destroyers fired fewer weapons than planned after a delay had already spoiled the target angle. Cruiser gunfire then alerted the Japanese ships and prompted them to accelerate and manoeuvre before the torpedoes arrived. The tactical conditions explain the result better than the weapon's technical reputation.
Notable Point · 1:05:03-1:07:03
Why the American torpedoes missed
Poor timing and geometry, rather than a demonstrated weapon defect, best explain the failure of the twenty American torpedoes.