The ships were built around exceptional speed, but their weapons could not be used effectively at that speed. Their torpedoes could be slower than the destroyer, creating awkward launch constraints and limiting the tactical value of the headline performance figure. Other major navies were already developing torpedoes capable of roughly 40 to 47 knots, so the mismatch was not an unavoidable limitation of the period. Fast machinery, fire control, weapons, and employment doctrine had to work together.
Notable Point · 39:35-43:17
Mogador's speed and torpedo mismatch
The Mogador-class pursuit of extreme speed exposed a basic mismatch between the destroyer's performance and its torpedoes.