The Problem
The USS Iowa had a top speed of 33 knots, but that burned an astronomical amount of fuel. At typical cruising speeds, it was going to take a good while to cross the Atlantic. To help pass the time, the president asked the task force commander to demonstrate the capabilities of his vessels. As a result, with the president watching closely, the commander ordered anti-aircraft defense drills as well as torpedo evasion maneuvers.
The antiaircraft bit involved shooting down a series of weather balloons. It was noisy but unremarkable. The torpedo evasion drill was a bit more memorable.
The USS William D. Porter was known colloquially as the “Willi Dee.” She had already developed a bit of a reputation. Upon departure from Norfolk, she accidentally tore the railing and lifeboat mounts off of a sister vessel in a maneuvering incident. Later, she inadvertently dropped a live depth charge in rough seas, scaring the bejeebers out of everyone in the convoy.
The Willi Dee got tagged to serve as the aggressor for the torpedo drill. From a range of some 6,000 yards, the destroyer was to launch three live torpedoes. However, each of these fish was to be fired without the primers installed. That way, whether they connected or missed, these three war shots would eventually just sink harmlessly to the ocean floor.
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