The depth charge is an anti-submarine weapon consisting of a drum or canister of explosive dropped from a ship's stern or thrown by a projector to a set depth, where a hydrostatic fuse detonates it, the surrounding water transmitting a lethal shock wave to any submarine within the charge's effective radius even without a direct hit. Introduced by the Royal Navy in 1916 during the First World War in response to the growing threat of German U-boats, depth charges became the primary anti-submarine weapon of both World Wars, dropped in patterns from escort ships working with sonar, later called ASDIC by the British, to localize a submerged submarine before attacking. Depth charge tactics and equipment steadily improved through the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic, and though later replaced in most frontline roles by homing torpedoes and guided anti-submarine rockets, the basic depth charge concept remains in limited use by some navies today.
Facts
Weapon Classanti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon 1 Introduced Year Classification
Service Status Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category)Submarine / Naval Vessel 1 Connections
Associated With
World War I, Wars The depth charge was developed as an anti-submarine weapon and first used in combat during World War I
Operated By
Source Wikipedia: Depth charge
Used In
Source Wikipedia: Depth charge
Source Wikipedia: Depth charge
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Depth charge
Lead section, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarines by detonating in the water near the target and subjecting it to a destructive hydraulic shock.
History section, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_charge
The first effective depth charge, the Type D, became available in January 1916.
service status
By the late 1990s all nuclear anti-submarine weapons had been withdrawn from service by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China
Used In: World War I, Wikipedia article text
They were widely used in World War I and World War II, and remained part of the anti-submarine arsenals of many navies during the Cold War, during which they were supplemented, and later largely replaced, by anti-submarine homing torpedoes.
Used In: World War II, Wikipedia article text
They were widely used in World War I and World War II, and remained part of the anti-submarine arsenals of many navies during the Cold War, during which they were supplemented, and later largely replaced, by anti-submarine homing torpedoes.
Operated By: Royal Navy, Wikipedia article text
To replace it, the Royal Navy's Mark VII depth charge was modified for aerial use by the addition of a streamlined nose fairing and stabilising fins on the tail; it entered service in 1941 as the Mark VII Airborne DC.
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