Rule number 1 with escorts, Stay away from them.
Rule number 2, Avoid escorts.
Rule number 3, Don't mess with escorts.
You have to remember that the escorts are usually destroyers. A small ship designed to avoid and outmaneuver guns. They are fast and have a very tight turning radius. They can easily avoid you, and are equiped to find you.
The early war Mk 14s were at best criminally bad. There were more duds and premature detonations than good hits.
The top brass did not listen to the sub captains and nothing was done.
Around mid 1943, improvements were made and the Mk 14 became good torpedoes.
