Early German homing torpedoes inspired a deliberate evasive drill. An escort steamed at full power toward the submarine for two minutes, turned 60 degrees to port or starboard for three minutes, then turned back toward the contact. The manoeuvre moved the ship outside the torpedo's seeker cone and could force the submarine to fire again or dive, making sonar tracking and attack easier. In roughly 30 to 40 recorded attacks, the large majority of ships using the tactic escaped. Early missiles had comparable limits in range, guidance, and reliability. Proven gun ships could therefore remain useful while guided weapons matured.
Notable Point · 31:49-33:38
Homing-torpedo countermeasures as a warning about wonder weapons
A successful drill against early homing torpedoes shows how tactics could offset the limits of a new guided weapon.