Q&A ยท 3:10:28-3:13:12

HMS Vernon tested worse ideas than the Mark 14

The Mark 14 was seriously flawed, but Vernon's experimental record contained weapons with even less practical promise.

Question

Was the Mark 14 the worst weapon HMS Vernon ever encountered?

Short answer

No. Alex points to an air-pressure torpedo working like a water rocket as a worse idea, while leaving the separate Blackburn connection uncertain.

Notes

Alex rejects the Mark 14 as the worst weapon encountered by HMS Vernon. He points to a full history titled The Vernon Story, 1872-1986, recalling the author's name as Ian Poland, and a shorter 1930-1955 history attributed to Ed Webb and published in 1956. A Blackburn missile idea also comes up, but the response does not specifically confirm that Vernon tested it. The eventual example is an air-pressure torpedo described as working like a water rocket. It is offered as an especially poor experimental idea, with its performance discussed in the next follow-up.