Truant's crew heard what they believed were impact noises after firing at Nagara near Badung Strait but obtained no hits. The suspected duds are attributed to older 21-inch submarine torpedoes that had not been stored properly at distant imperial depots, rather than to the Royal Navy's generally functional fuses or successful aerial torpedoes. Paper quality could not guarantee performance after years in a worldwide supply system. Ammunition preservation and stock rotation were therefore part of submarine combat effectiveness.
Notable Point · 49:21-50:00
Imperial storage could turn torpedoes into duds
Truant's suspected duds near Badung Strait show how storage and distribution could undermine otherwise sound torpedo designs.