Squid (weapon)
The Squid was a anti-submarine weapon and was developed by the British Royal Navy during World War II in response to the ever-increasing German submarine threat.
The Squid (German " Kalmar ") was a water bomb thrower fired, consisting of a dreirohrigen, of forward-facing launcher three independently functioning conventional water bombs. It was a further development of the hedgehog system and was in turn replaced by the limbo system .
The turret was triggered directly by the sonar rangefinder. The three depth charges then formed a triangle with sides about 37 m long at a distance of about 250 m in front of the ship. The explosion depth had to be uniformly set in advance.
The system was first tested in 1943 on the destroyer HMS Ambuscade . The first sinking of a submarine with this weapon was achieved by the frigate HMS Loch Killin on July 31, 1944, which sank U 333 . The system was awarded 17 sinkings in 50 missions. It was used well beyond the end of World War II.
One advantage over other depth charge devices was that the attacked object could be observed continuously with the sonar, even during and after the launch, because the launch took place forwards. In addition, in conjunction with other depth charges launching devices, it was possible to carry out two depth charges on a sonar object during one crossing. The Squid's three depth charges were also used to distinguish a sonar echo, because a school of fish echo dissolves after being shot at. If the echo remained constant, an immediate attack without turning maneuvers with the launchers that threw sideways and backwards was possible. This reduced the possibility of evasion for a submarine before the second, more massive depth charge.
In April 1977 a squid was fired for the last time in the British Royal Navy from the frigate HMS Salisbury .
Technical specifications
- Caliber: 305 mm (12 in)
- Weight: 177 kg (390 lb)
- Explosives quantity: 94 kg (207 lb)
- Range: 250 m (275 yards)
- Descent rate: 13.3 m / s (43.5 ft / s)
- Maximum operating depth: 274 m (900 ft)
