Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:04:30-1:08:18

An early Mark 24 acoustic torpedo could cripple the U-boat force

Fielding the air-dropped Mark 24 acoustic torpedo in 1939 would threaten early U-boats and the training nucleus behind later expansion.

Anti-Submarine WarfareCoastal CommandMark 24 MineU-BoatsWorld War II
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

What if Britain deployed the Mark 24 acoustic torpedo in 1939?

Short answer

Early U-boat losses would rise sharply and weaken the experienced nucleus needed to expand the German submarine arm.

Notes

Royal Navy and Coastal Command aircraft could ambush submarines with a weapon for which the Germans had no ready answer. Losses in 1939-40 would matter beyond the boats themselves because the small prewar force supplied experienced crews and institutional knowledge for the much larger wartime fleet.