Torpedoes are the most dangerous weapons in World of Warships. A single torpedo hit deals damage equivalent to several gun salvoes, and a full spread on a broadside target can sink almost any ship. This guide covers everything you need to know about torpedoes in World of Warships — from basic firing mechanics to deep-water torpedoes, homing mechanics, and dodging.
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Selecting and firing torpedoes
Press 3 to select your torpedo launchers. Your crosshair switches to torpedo mode and you’ll see arcs around your ship showing the firing zone.
Arc colours:
- Green arc — launcher is loaded and ready to fire
- Yellow arc — launcher is reloading
Left-click to fire. Each click launches one torpedo launcher. If you have multiple launchers, each click fires the next launcher in sequence.
Firing does not increase your detectability. Unlike guns, torpedo launches don’t give away your position — one of the key advantages of torpedoes as a stealth weapon.
Arming distance
The inner edge of the aiming arc marks the minimum arming distance. Torpedoes launched at a target within this distance are duds — they run past without detonating. Always ensure your target is outside the arming distance before firing.
As a practical rule: most ship-launched torpedoes need 1–2 km to arm. Never fire point-blank.
Spread patterns
Most ships offer two spread options — toggle between narrow and wide by pressing 3 again while torpedoes are selected.
- Narrow spread — all torpedoes clustered closely together. Better at longer range against a slow-moving single target where you want all torpedoes to hit the same ship.
- Wide spread — torpedoes fan out across a wider area. Better at close range to cover a larger impact zone, or to create a torpedo wall that a manoeuvring target struggles to escape.
Some ships — primarily British cruisers and destroyers, Commonwealth premiums — don’t use spread at all. They fire single torpedoes one at a time, giving maximum control over individual shots.
Leading your target
Torpedoes are slow compared to shells and travel a fixed straight path. A target moving at 30 knots and 10 km away takes roughly 45–60 seconds to reach — plenty of time to manoeuvre out of the way if they see the tracks.
The white cone on the torpedo aiming interface shows the predicted intercept point if the target maintains current speed and heading. Aim the torpedo launchers so the predicted track goes through that cone.
Key factors for torpedo lead:
- Speed — the faster the target, the more you lead. Destroyers at flank speed need significantly more lead than a battleship at battle speed.
- Range — the further your target, the more time for them to manoeuvre. At 10+ km, only the widest spreads or predictable courses give reliable hits.
- Angle — torpedoes hit broadside targets more reliably. A target sailing away from you or bow-on to you gives a much smaller hit profile.
The best torpedo ranges are 4–8 km — close enough to limit dodge time, far enough that they arm properly and have a meaningful travel corridor.
Launcher mounting types
Where your launchers are mounted affects how you have to manoeuvre to fire:
| Type | Fires | Ships | Tactic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centerline | Both sides | Most destroyers | Pre-turn tubes toward target before committing |
| Side-mounted | One side only | Most cruisers, some battleships | Pre-angle to bring the correct side to bear |
| Bow/Stern | Forward or aft | All submarines | Point the whole ship at the target |
If you’re in a cruiser with side-mounted launchers and get into a gun engagement bow-on, your torpedoes are useless — always factor in which side will face the enemy when planning torpedo angles.
Torpedo types
Standard torpedoes
The default. High alpha damage, moderate detection range (~1.2–2.5 km), available on all torpedo-equipped ships. Deal increased damage on serious hits and can cause flooding (continuous damage over time).
Flooding damage:
- Battleships/large cruisers: 0.5% HP per second for 40 seconds — 20% total HP pool from a single flood
- Destroyers/cruisers: 0.25% HP per second for 40 seconds — 10% total HP pool
- Maximum of two simultaneous floods; they don’t stack beyond that
Deep-water torpedoes
Deep-water torpedoes run deeper in the water, giving them a much shorter detection range (~0.9 km versus 1.2–2.5 km for standard). This makes them extremely difficult to spot and dodge in time.
The trade-off: they cannot hit destroyers or submarines. They pass underneath those ships harmlessly.
- Pan-Asian destroyers and cruisers — deep-water torpedoes that hit cruisers, battleships, and carriers; cannot hit destroyers or submarines
- Japanese Asashio — hit battleships and carriers only; do not hit cruisers or destroyers
- Other Japanese variants — similar restrictions
Deep-water torpedoes are particularly effective in matches where your opponents are primarily battleships and cruisers. Against destroyer-heavy fleets they lose most of their advantage.
Counters to deep-water torpedoes: Hydroacoustic Search extends the detection range significantly. The Torpedo Lookout System upgrade sets base detection to 1.8 km. The Vigilance commander skill stacks with both.
Acoustic homing torpedoes (submarines only)
Submarine homing torpedoes require sonar pings to guide them toward a target. See the submarines guide for the full ping mechanics. Key points:
- A single sonar ping marks one hull sector; torpedoes home toward it
- A double ping extends homing duration and improves tracking
- Homing shuts off at a cut-off distance (varies by tier and target class) — the torpedo then runs straight
- Damage Control Party wipes the ping tag and stops homing immediately
- Submarines also carry standard torpedoes at Tier VIII and X for unguided attacks
Torpedo reload and upgrades
Standard reload on destroyer torpedoes is typically 90–120 seconds depending on ship. Upgrades and skills that reduce reload:
- Fill the Tubes (commander skill) — −10% reload
- Torpedo Tubes Modification 2 (Tier IX+ upgrade) — −15% reload; increases incapacitation risk
- Adrenaline Rush (commander skill) — reload speeds up as your ship takes damage
- Torpedo Reload Booster (consumable, some ships) — reduces reload to 5–30 seconds for one charge
Watch for teammates
Since Update 0.10.5, friendly torpedoes no longer sink allies — they deal no damage on impact. However, allies can still take a torpedo hit that does 0 damage and wastes your torpedo. More importantly, the game still tracks and penalises friendly fire events in certain contexts. Don’t fire torpedoes into a cluster where allies are maneuvering.
Always call out torpedo launches in chat when firing in mixed directions where allies might sail through.
How to dodge torpedoes
When you see torpedo wakes in the water:
- Turn toward the torpedoes — this narrows your profile and reduces the number that can hit. Turning parallel gives the maximum target area.
- Increase speed — more speed gives you more options to cut across torpedoes running parallel to your course.
- Don’t sail predictably — the most dangerous time is when you haven’t changed course in 30+ seconds while an enemy destroyer is unspotted. They’re lining up on your current heading.
- Use Hydroacoustic Search — Hydro detects torpedo wakes significantly earlier than naked eye detection, giving more time to react. Essential for battleships pushing into destroyer-contested areas.
- Use smoke to break torpedo tracking — you can’t dodge already-launched torpedoes with smoke, but smoke breaks the visual spotting that enemies use to track your movement for follow-up launches.
How do I fire torpedoes in World of Warships?
Press 3 to switch to torpedo mode, point your launcher arc at the target (turn your ship if needed), aim using the white intercept indicator, and left-click. Each click fires one launcher. Press 3 again to toggle between narrow and wide spread.
What is the arming distance for torpedoes?
The arming distance is shown as the inner edge of the green aiming arc around your ship. Torpedoes launched at targets closer than this distance are duds. Most ship-launched torpedoes need 1–2 km to arm. Never fire from inside arming distance.
What are deep-water torpedoes?
Deep-water torpedoes run deeper and are detected at ~0.9 km instead of the standard 1.2–2.5 km. The trade-off is they cannot hit destroyers or submarines (and Japanese variants also miss cruisers). Primarily used by Pan-Asian DDs and cruisers, and some Japanese ships. Very difficult to dodge due to the short warning time.
Why did my torpedoes do no damage?
Three likely causes: your target is a destroyer and you’re using deep-water torpedoes (they pass underneath); your target was within the arming distance when you fired (duds); or your torpedoes hit a saturated section of the ship which reduces damage at specific thresholds. Check the battle report to see which sections took the hits.
How do I avoid being torpedoed?
Turn toward incoming torpedo wakes — this narrows your profile. Never sail straight for more than 30 seconds when enemy destroyers are unspotted. Use Hydroacoustic Search to detect torpedoes earlier. Keep your speed up for more manoeuvring options.