Dönitz and reports of defective torpedoes

Were German torpedoes worse than the American Mark 6 exploder?

German failures were serious, but no comparative failure rate is given. The distinction drawn is Dönitz's willingness to believe his officers and press the technical specialists for a remedy.

Dönitz accepted his officers' reports that their torpedoes were failing and pressured the technical specialists to find a remedy. The comparison criticises the American response for giving insufficient weight to operational reports. It credits a specific decision about defective weapons while retaining the criticism of Dönitz's fascism. That limited judgment concerns his response to submariners, without endorsing his wider conduct.