Squid (weapon)
Squid | |
---|---|
Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development | |
Designed | 1942 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 10 tons |
Shell | 440 lb (200 kg) |
Calibre | 12 in (305 mm) |
Barrels | Three |
Effective firing range | 275 yards (250 m) |
Filling | Minol |
Filling weight | 207 lb (94 kg) |
Detonation mechanism | Time fuse |
Squid was a British World War II ship-mounted anti-submarine weapon. It consisted of a three-barrelled mortar which launched depth charges. It replaced the Hedgehog system, and was in turn replaced by the Limbo system.
Development
Ordered directly from the drawing board in 1942, under the auspices of the
This weapon was a three-barrel 12-inch (305 mm) mortar with the mortars mounted in series but off-bore from each other in order to scatter the projectiles. The barrels were mounted in a frame that could be rotated through 90 degrees for loading. The projectiles weighed 390 pounds (177 kg) with a 207-pound (94 kg) minol charge.[Note 1] On some vessels, the Squid installations were at the stern – the bombs were fired over the length of the ship and dropped into the sea slightly ahead of it.[2] Sink rate was 43.5 ft/s (13.3 m/s) and a clockwork time fuze was used to determine the detonation depth. All three projectiles had to be set to the same depth; this could be continuously updated right up to the moment of launch to take into account the movements of the target.[2] The maximum depth was 900 feet (270 m).
The weapons were automatically fired from the sonar range recorder at the proper moment. The pattern formed a triangle about 40 yards (37 m) on a side at a distance of 275 yards (251 m) ahead of the ship. Most Squid installations utilised two sets of mortars. All six bombs were fired in salvo so they formed opposing triangular spreads. The salvos were set to explode 25 feet (7.6 m) above and below the target, the resulting pressure wave crushing the hull of the submarine. Post-war trials found Squid was nine times more effective than conventional depth charges.[3]
Use
Despite its proven effectiveness, some officers, notably Captain Kenneth Adams, RCN, opposed fitting Squid to escorts because it meant sacrificing guns, which would make ships unsuitable for fleet actions.[4]
In April 1977, the
In Swedish service the system soldiered on until 1982 when the Östergötland-class destroyers were decommissioned.
Gallery
Notes
- TNT and RDX (cyclonite) in World War II, the British used a 50/50 mixture of ammonium nitrate and TNT (amatol) in naval mines and depth charges. This low-grade explosive was later improved by the addition of about 20% aluminium powder, producing minol.
References
Citations
- ^ "Britain ASW Weapons". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Squid Mortar". Friends of HMCS Haida. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- ISBN 0802026877.
- ^ Zimmerman (1989), pp. 128–129.
Bibliography
- Jane's Naval Weapon Systems Issue 33, E R Hooton, ISBN 0-7106-0893-4
- Naval Armament, Doug Richardson, 1981, Jane's Publishing, ISBN 0-531-03738-X