Zosimus opined:
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I believe that torpedoes should not be fired at ranges less than 300 meters. They have a minimum arming distance.
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Indeed - the "safe arming" distance. It was possible for a torpedo to malfunction and "return home", or even for the fuse to detonate prematurely. Premature detonation happens sometimes in SH3, particularly for magnetic settings in rough weather, though generally at a safe distance from the tube. The practice at the time was to fit an arming device - a threaded screw attached to a locking pin. A small propeller on the nose was geared to wind the screw to slowly withdraw the locking pin and so arm the fuse.
http://www.uboataces.com/weapon-torpedo.shtml
However, bear in mind that the 300 metres is the
distance the torpedo has to travel before the fuse is armed, not the
range to target when it's fired. A torpedo fired at rather less than 300m at a fast retreating target
might arm itself in time, whereas one fired at say 350 metres at a DD rushing straight towards your boat at speed may well not.