An early torpedo's dense warhead pulled its nose downward after release, creating a risk that it would strike the harbor bed before leveling out. A weapon could lodge in mud or otherwise become useless even when dropped near its target. Torpedoes that became stuck in the mud at Pearl Harbor illustrate that danger. Fins and later wooden extensions helped control the descent, while limited engine power restricted the speed and handling of World War I aircraft carrying heavy torpedoes. The British also developed a tension-wire arrangement that made the weapon belly-flop into the water. The Fairey Swordfish used that method in the 1930s. At Taranto, torpedoes could still miss or run in unintended directions, but they avoided immediately diving into the mud.
Notable Point · 11:15-15:30
Shallow water makes aerial torpedo entry a design problem
A torpedo must enter shallow water without diving into the harbor bed, which explains the importance of stabilizing fins and the later British tension-wire system.