A6M - Germany Japan Technology Exchange Missed Opportunity?

[Thumpalumpacus]

The zig-zag torpedoes (FAT and LUT) were used, but had only limited success because of the difficulty of setting the zig-zag track correctly - you needed pretty precise distance, speed, and course data of the target which were rarely available.

Forgive what may be an ignorant but honestly-asked question -- what use would such an approach serve? Wouldn't it be better to just shoot it straight if you can't put homing on it? Wouldn't a straight course be easier to compute? What am I missing here?

Again, not trying to be a jerk, just wanting to understand the thinking of the time.

 

[Shortround6]

Target was a convoy with a number of parallel columns of ships that were closely spaced both in line and between the columns. A torpedo that missed the intended target would turn around at a predetermined point and come back through one or more columns. They could be set to reverse course several times.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Target was a convoy with a number of parallel columns of ships that were closely spaced both in line and between the columns. A torpedo that missed the intended target would turn around at a predetermined point and come back through one or more columns. They could be set to reverse course several times.

Thank you! I always appreciate the learning here, this is no exception.

 

[mikemike]

The LUT torpedoes were not aimed at any particular ship - they were intended to run back and forth perpendicular to the convoy course, and ideally move forward with the convoy at roughly the same speed. The idea was that the torpedo would thus have multiple opportunities to hit a ship in the convoy, especially when using a magnetic detonator. So to place the loops of the torpedo track optimally the firing sub would need a pretty precise idea of the convoy course and the distance to the convoy center, which was hard to come by in 1944.