Q&A: Were Britain's 24.5-inch torpedoes useless?

Were the British 24.5-inch Mark I torpedoes useless?

No; they were rarely used because Britain fitted them to only one class, but Rodney employed one successfully against Bismarck.

Britain fitted the 24.5-inch Mark I torpedo to only one capital-ship class, which left few opportunities to fire it in combat. Rodney nevertheless used one against Bismarck, and the weapon worked. Its sparse combat record reflects narrow deployment rather than demonstrated failure. Raw usage totals say little about a weapon when so few platforms carry it.