How many torpedo tubes does a destroyer or cruiser need on each broadside for a good chance of hitting?
Short answerIt depends on range and spread geometry, but six to eight tubes per side became a practical World War II-era pattern for improving hit probability.
NotesLonger-range attacks require wider coverage because torpedoes separate by fractions or multiples of a target's length. Commanders can vary the spacing, ripple individual weapons, or build a wave, but the Royal and Japanese navies' common six-to-eight-tube broadsides illustrate the value of enough weapons to shape a credible spread.