Q&A ยท 26:14-30:59

Italian propellant bags: equal weight without common composition

The Italian stockpile proposal exposes the difference between weighing a charge and standardizing its materials.

Question

What should Italy stockpile in 1937?

Short answer

Uniform propellant bags, with common powder composition and bag specifications, are Alex's choice after torpedo nets are suggested.

Notes

Torpedo nets are an initial suggestion, though Alex says Italy already had them and criticizes their deployment at Taranto. His preferred stockpile is propellant bags with consistent composition, dimensions and fabric. Drawing on recent conversations with researchers, he describes roughly five factories using different powder formulas and bags while checking only total weight. He recounts sawdust being added where a manufacturer believed its powder needed a smaller charge for the same effect. The account distinguishes missing common specifications from additional quality-control failures inside individual factories. The claims about factory practice and filler remain attributed research recollections.