Obsolete Whitehead torpedoes could remain lethal

How could obsolete Whitehead torpedoes remain useful into the 1940s?

Within range, a hit still delivered a large underwater explosion and remained dangerous despite the weapon's technical age.

A viewer notes that Whitehead-pattern torpedoes remained in operational use into the 1940s despite being obsolete. Their continuing value came from the basic destructive effect. If the target was in range and the weapon hit, the resulting explosion would still cause severe trouble. Obsolescence described relative performance against newer weapons, rather than the disappearance of lethal effect.