Small torpedo boats versus real engagement ranges

Actual attack geometry undercut the torpedo boat's outsized reputation. A small craft had to approach well inside the reach of rapid-firing defensive guns before its short-ranged torpedo could threaten a large warship. Even a successful hit might not be enough to sink the target, while the fragile attacker had little margin for surviving return fire. Because a torpedo was aimed at a predicted future position rather than the ship's present location, even modest evasive movement could spoil the attack.