To be clear here there were a number of issues with the Mark XIV torpedo - and they tended to mask each other. Here they are in the order they were addressed:
- The torps ran an average of 11 feet deeper than the depth setting indicated - this negated the whole purpose of magentic pistol - had it been working.
- The manufacture of the magnetic detonator was flawed in such a way as to ensure that they would rarely function as intended - they were finally deactivated - in the Central Pacific anyway in early '43
- The contact pistol firing pin stud guides were prone to disfiguration - often preventing the pins from setting off the warhead - the closer the shot was to the "perfect" 90 degree angle the worse the problem. Modified pins were designed and issued that would not deform the guides.
Here is a link:
http://www.historynet.com/magazines/...2/3037866.html