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Failed Double-Barrel Cannon and Other Weapons That Absolutely Flopped

Khalid Elhassan November 14, 2021 36 min

17. The Myriad Problems of This Unfortunate Weapon

Despite the fact that it had fared miserably in the few live fire tests conducted, the magnetic detonator to be used on the Mark 14 Torpedo was approved for use by the US Navy’s Bureau of Ordnance. And despite the fact that the Mark 14 itself had never undergone any live tests, the Mark 14 was issued to the US submarine fleet as its standard torpedo in 1938. It was only after America was thrust into WWII that the torpedo’s grave flaws became apparent.

Within the first month of hostilities, submarine commanders correctly reported that the Mark 14 often failed to maintain accurate depth so as to pass within the correct distance beneath an enemy ship’s keel. Another problem was with the magnetic detonator, which frequently detonated prematurely or failed to detonate at all. Even the simpler contact detonator often failed to set off the torpedo even when it struck an enemy’s hull at a perfect angle with a loud and clearly audible clang.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.