Description
+10 Combat Strength vs. naval units.
Historical Context
Following the development of a prototype self-propelled naval torpedo by the Austro-Hungarians in 1864, and its subsequent manufacture by the British engineer Robert Whitehead, naval warfare evolved yet again. The Germans had a deep interest in torpedo technology, and as the convoy system made things more difficult for the U-boats in World War II, German scientists devised the programmable pattern-running torpedoes. These would follow a pre-set pattern until they ran out of fuel or hit something, perfect against formations of ships. Next came “homing” torpedoes, which used acoustics to pick up the sounds of a wake and follow it to an enemy ship. These two “fire-and-forget” weapon systems made things grim for the Allied convoys for the rest of the war.