One explanation for differences in early-war torpedo reliability is the geographical breadth of prewar testing. The Royal Navy could trial weapons in many waters and encounter different magnetic conditions. German testing concentrated in a Baltic area described as unusually forgiving, while American trials also failed to expose all the problems encountered elsewhere. A weapon that worked on a test range could consequently fail when deployed in different waters.
Notable Point · 3:22:03-3:23:01
Why test environments mattered to torpedo reliability
Testing across varied waters offers one explanation for differences in British, German, and American torpedo reliability.