What are depth charges used for?

Asked by: Edith Rodriguez

depth charge, also called depth bomb, a type of weapon that is used by surface ships or aircraft to attack submerged submarines. The first depth charges were developed by the British in World War I for use against German submarines.

Are depth charges obsolete?

From 1916 until 1943 the depth charge was the principal antisubmarine weapon of all navies, and it still remains in the antisubmarine arsenal, although it has largely been superseded by more sophisticated weapons with greater range.

Are depth charges successful?

Over the first six months of the war, 4000 attacks were made with depth charges. These resulted in only 33 sinkings. However, by 1943, depth charges had about a 5% success rate. Between January and June 1943, 554 depth charge attacks were made, causing 27.5 sinkings (including shared kills).

Are depth charges useful War Thunder?

Effective damage



Although originally they were designed to produce both explosive and shockwave damage underwater to destroy submarines, in War Thunder, there are no submarine vehicles and as a result, the depth charges have a very focused area of effect.

Do depth charges damage ships?

A exploding depth charge could destroy a U-boat 25 ft away and damage one at a distance of 50 ft. Even explosions that didn’t hit their targets could cause trauma, similar to shell shock, among U-boat crews.

How many depth charges did a ww2 destroyer carry?

The typical loadout on a fleet destroyer was about 30 depth charges, while dedicated escort ships had a very large loadout, of as many as 300 depth charges.

Why depth charges don’t have to touch a submarine to sink it?

So they invent the depth charge depth charge is a kind of explosive fused in such a way that when it hits a certain set depth it goes off.

When should I start feeding depth charge?

For Pigs requiring some help I’d say 30 days prior to show at 8 to 16 oz per day (start at 4 oz/day and increase by 4 oz/day about every 7 days until you are feeding the desired level). For a lot of help 60-90 days.

What happens when a submarine is hit by a depth charge?

The depth charge rarely exploded close enough to sink the submarine, but its shock waves loosened the submarine’s joints and damaged its instruments, thus forcing it to the surface, where it could be finished off by naval gunfire.

How deep can submarines go?

It’s generally accepted that the maximum depth (depth of implosion or collapse) is about 1.5 or 2 times deeper. The latest open literature says that a US Los Angeles-class test depth is 450m (1,500 ft), suggesting a maximum depth of 675–900m (2,250–3,000 ft).

Who invented the depth charge?

engineer Herbert Taylor

The technology, developed in Britain, ultimately played a role in ushering the war to an end. In the summer of 1916, nearly two years into the war, British naval engineer Herbert Taylor perfected the hydrostatic pistol, a weapon that could be detonated at predetermined depths underwater—hence the name “depth charge.”

How are submarines destroyed?

Common weapons for attacking submarines include torpedoes and naval mines, which can both be launched from an array of air, surface, and underwater platforms.

Does the US have nuclear depth charges?

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. A nuclear depth bomb is the nuclear equivalent of the conventional depth charge, and can be used in anti-submarine warfare for attacking submerged submarines. The Royal Navy, Soviet Navy, and United States Navy had nuclear depth bombs in their arsenals at one point.

What is a dumb gravity bomb?

An unguided bomb, also known as a free-fall bomb, gravity bomb, dumb bomb, or iron bomb, is a conventional aircraft-delivered bomb that does not contain a guidance system and hence, simply follows a ballistic trajectory.

What country has the most nuclear weapons?

Nuclear Warheads Currently in Possession by Countries

Are there tactical nukes?

Nuclear experts say the term “tactical nuclear weapon” is typically used to describe a nuclear weapon with comparatively low impact and fired from a relatively close distance. Sometimes these are referred to as “low yield” nuclear weapons.

Does America have nuclear torpedos?

The only nuclear warhead torpedo used by the United States was the Mark 45 torpedo. The Soviet Union widely deployed T5 nuclear torpedoes in 1958 and the U.S. deployed its Mark 45 torpedo in , there were rumors that Russia was developing a new nuclear torpedo, the Status-6.

Does the UK have nuclear depth charges?

British warships during the Falklands War in 1982 carried nuclear depth charges, but the weapons never entered the territorial waters of any Latin American nation, the ministry of Defense said last night.

What yield was the Hiroshima bomb?

16 kiloton

About 64 kilograms of highly-enriched uranium was used in the bomb which had a 16 kiloton yield (i.e. it was equivalent to 16,000 tonnes of TNT). It was released over Hiroshima, Japan’s seventh largest city, on 6 August 1945.

Who controls UK nuclear weapons?

Although the UK’s nuclear deterrent is assigned to the defence of NATO , we retain full operational control over its use. Only the UK Prime Minister can authorise the use of our nuclear weapons, even if used as part of a wider NATO response.

Where does the UK store its nuclear weapons?

The Royal Naval Armament Depot (RNAD) at Coulport in the Clyde Area consists of sixteen nuclear weapon storage bunkers have been built into a ridge overlooking Loch Long. Trident missile warheads and conventional torpedoes are stored at the weapons depot, where they are installed and removed from submarines.

How many nukes would it take to destroy the world?

This is why another study had been conducted in 2018 testing a similar scenario that also concluded that it would take 100 nuclear bombs to end this world. What is scarier is that within this world there are 13,080 ready-to-use nuclear warheads and yet it takes such a small amount.

How close do you live to a nuclear bomb?

Heat is the prime concern for those closer to a nuclear blast, with people up to 6.8 miles away suffering first-degree burns and third-degree burns hitting anyone up to 5 miles away. You’ve got to consider the immense thermal radiation too, which travels at the speed of light.

Does the UK have nuclear submarines?

Currently, four Vanguard-class submarines form the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent force. Each boat is armed with Trident 2 D5 nuclear missiles. Like all submarines the Vanguard Class are steam-powered, their reactors converting water into high-pressure steam to drive the submarine’s engines and generate electricity.

Is alcohol allowed on nuclear submarines?

“Although alcohol is available on board Royal Navy ships and submarines, its consumption is extremely limited and the RN’s promotion of healthy living, coupled with the professionalism of modern sailors, means that fewer sailors drink at sea than ever before,” he added.

Is Trident still active?

On the House of Commons voted by a large majority to proceed with building a fleet of Dreadnought-class submarines, to be operational by 2028, with the current fleet completely phased out by 2032.



Trident (UK nuclear programme)

Has a trawler been sunk by a submarine?

In November 1990 the pelagic trawler Antares sank in the Firth of Clyde with all four crew members on board all losing their lives. The loss of the vessel was immensely controversial as it emerged that the Antares was sunk when its nets became tangled with a Royal Navy nuclear submarine that passed underneath.

Do submarines ever hit fishing nets?

Large submarines have also been caught in fishing nets, but usually, the trawlers come off worse. In 1990, four fishermen died when their trawler was dragged under by a British submarine on a training exercise off the west coast of Scotland.

How did WW2 submarines navigate underwater?

Submarines used dead reckoning navigation for their underwater navigation from the first days. In this chapter will be described the simplest way of the dead reckoning navigation, used in WW1 and WW2. Even today, if there are not any another navigational system, this way is usable for a submarine underwater navigation.