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Originally Posted by Barkhorn1x
***I do offer one caveat however - and that is fact that the US Navy higherarchy knew that both the Germans and the English had withdrawn their magnetic pistols due to operational issues. This should have been a signal for thorough field testing - especially in light of the dismal results achieved on so many patrols with the Mark XIV. Alas, hubris whispered in senior US Admiral ears that these issues just could not be happening to "our" superior pistols.  |
I can't argue with that one! Even worse, when "Drumbeat" started, our wonderful C-in-C Admiral Ernest King refused to take advice or help from the British, and so for several months east coast cities were lit up, as were merchant ships, no convoys were instituted in the US and it was let out that "several" German U-boats were "made to pay". The actual number sunk during the period was zero.
Also when Admiral Lockwood ordered the magnetic pistols deactivated he met with fierce resistance from ComSubsAsiatic (I'll have his name tomorrow). The two commands were entirely separate, and that particular admiral had also been the man behind the development of the magnetic head!
