Surface-ship torpedoes were more than an armament choice. Keeping them on deck meant carrying explosive weapons where damage could reach them, while putting tubes below the waterline required a large chamber extending to the hull side. That chamber could interrupt the very torpedo-defense system intended to protect the ship. Large ships often treated torpedoes as a last-resort weapon, while smaller cruisers and destroyers could use them to threaten superior gun power or compel an opponent to maneuver while they escaped.
Notable Point · 1:49:44-1:52:24
Torpedoes changed the ships that carried them
Deck stowage risked carrying explosives in the open, while submerged tubes created hull openings that complicated torpedo protection.