Perhaps the greatest torpedo attack of all time was - believe it or not - Italian.

A very enterprising Italian naval officer whose name escapes me lead a team of speciailly trained man who learned how to drive torpedoes. They had four torpedoes manufactured in germany and then were released by ubmarine near Cairo. They went into the harbor and set off explosions on a few transports and actually drove a torpedo into the hull of a British battlecruiser. The ship settled in shallow water and had to be broken up after the war.

The Italians had a dismal contribution to the war on many occassions - there were some glaring exceptions of bravery and competence - but their Navy was perhaps the most advanced in the Mediterranean. had the Italian Fleet sortied more, the war may have been very different.

Hindsight is always 20-20.

Not really - the options were there at the time and seen by many men. The problem was idiots at the top.

Hindsight may be 20-20, but I have 15-20 vision.

Owned!

The Italians had a very good fleet, the problem was with their commanders. They were more like the French then the French were like the French. They broke off engagements early, and then there was Cape Matapan. Letting three British Battleships sneak up to within 15,000 yards of you. Some of the British sailors reported that they could hear singing coming from the Pola, like they were drunk or something.

But anyways, back to torpedoes. A British X-craft also finished off the Takao in Singapore Roads. Speaking of the general region, Battle of the Java Sea, the Haguro and Myoko launch a 16 torpedo spread. Sinks the De Ruyter and Java, and kills the Dutch Admiral, Doorman, thus effectivley ending that engagement. Then the allies gain revenge later in the war, a British squadron of five older destroyers launches a torpedo attack on the Haguro and successfully sinks her without any losses.

Torwards the end of WW2, two German Motor Torpedo Boats launches a spread of four torpedoes at a British cruiser-destroyer patrol group. Three out of four torpedoes hit, sinking the light cruiser Charybdis, and the destroyer Rocket.

If we are going to go strictly torpedo actions then Hats off to the Japense who during the night action near Savo Island handed the Amis their rears, destroying I believe four cruisers or something in a single volley.

Well no that wasn't quite what happened. But it was an extremley embarrasing defeat. One modern and four vintage WW1 cruisers, two vintage WW1 light cruisers, and 1 vintage WW1 destroyer defeating a force of 5 modern cruisers, and 10 modern destroyers. But actually gunfire, suprise, and tatics played more of a part then torpedoes.

o_O