Thanks Brian,

I suspected the minimum was around that.

The reason I was asking (which I probably should have put in my original posting)was that the KTB and Torpedo Report info on the attack I have been researching for my family has the U126 firing (from stern tubes)at a range of 350m from the Arkansan, and on the surface to boot! Pretty agressive, I think. U126 then went on to sink Kahuku 40 minutes later, at a range of about 675m (don't have my notes with me).

U-126 apparently had both freighters in sight before first shot was fired. Arkansan was outbound of Trinidad, and Kahuku was inbound.

As far as the longest/shortest/average, I just thought that would be interesting to know to put "my" attack in context.

I guess the average is imponderable as you said, especially without analyzing every Torpedo report ever filed. On the longest and shortest, however, I would have thought that would be part of some well known stories about 'greatest feats of U-boats'like scapa flow, etc. I seem to recall one other summary I read where the U-boat was close enough to be damaged from exploding munitions from thier target.

Thanks again for your help.

Regards,

Eric