Torpedo question

[peabody]

While I was in port I decided to try changing my torpedos, they didn't cost any renown, now I know why.
Anyway, the question, I was automatically loaded with Mark 14s, I exchanged them for some Mark 18 because they are electric and I read here they don't leave a trail like the steam ones. I knew about the steam just didn't realize they had both available during the war. And I also loaded some Mark 23s, guess I just figured higher number, must be a newer model, so I gave it a try.
Problem is I'm not sure which ones I fired but here's what happened. I had to photo Singapore harbor (my previous mission was to drop a spy about 2 inches (screen length) from there, could have taken the photo then, but nooooo make me go all the way back. After I took photos, no one was around so I set myself up (which I had done when I photographed a different harbor) for a stern shot. Got the 180 degree mark lined up, got a green tick mark (still learning manual) fired the torp and it hit at least 1 1/2 to 2 boat lengths in front of the ship. This didn't happen with the Mark 14s I used the other time. I tried it four times, two different ships, not moving and missed both by a long way.
I know a fireing solution has to lead the ship otherwise when the torp gets there the ship is gone, but are different torps modeled differently in the game? With the 14s I just lined up the 0 or 180 and it hit right where I aimed it because the ship wasn't moving. I sank the only two ship in the harbor.
I know I'm getting a bit long winded here, to say the least, but later I went to South China Sea and was engaged by three warships. It was reallllly dark but I know one was a Destroyer Akazuki I think and one a gunboat. I had a perfect shop on the Akazuki, missed. If it had only happened there I wouldn't have thought anything about it, but after the other miss, I was wondering if there is a problem. Maybe I should stick with old tried and true.

Peabody