Mark XIV Torpedo Case Study

Abstract

The U.S, Navy submarine force entered World War II with a defective primary weapon system, the Mark XIV Torpedo. It was developed in the mid 1920's, but never adequately developmentally or operationally tested prior to entering full rate production. After the inception of hostilities, submarine commanders reported multiple problems with malfunctioning torpedoes. This case study presents the Mark XIV's developmental history, initial combat performance, and the 21 month effort to find and remedy the three root causes that were significantly degrading the torpedo's combat effectiveness. The study subsequently analyses the derived lessons learned in requirements development, developmental testing, and operational testing.