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From: "GLongmate" <>
Subject: [WW1] Re: Depth charges
Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2001 14:39:12 +0100


Hi,

Here's my two penny-worth.
The first depth-charge issued was the D pattern in 1916. Initially, very few
were available, not more than four per destroyer , but production was
stepped up, and by 1918 as many as 30 were carried. It was long thought that
the first successful attack with depth-charges was made in July 1916 on UC7
by the motor boat Salmon, but UC 7 escaped on this occasion. The first
'kill' with depth-charges was on December 6, 1916, when UC 19 was sunk in
the Dover Straits by the destroyer Llewellyn. A week later, Ariel sank UB 29
in the Channel, and during the next two years a further 25 U-Boats were sunk
by this means.The US Navy immediately adopted the depth-charge, christening
it the 'ash-can', and before long it was standard in every navy. By 1939,
the Royal Navy was using the Mark VII, but in essence this depth-charge
differed little from the D.III type in use in 1918, apart from a more rugged
pistol and a stronger casing. A more important develop-ment was an efficient
thrower, first designed by the British shipbuilding and engineering firm
John I Thornycroft in 1917-18. It hurled a carrier clear of the ship, and
with four throwers and a stern-chute it was possible to lay a pattern of
depth-charges around the estimated position of a U-Boat.In its simplest
form, the depth-charge pistol had six settings, one for each depth, from 30
to 183 m (100-600 ft), and when a key was turned by hand, water was let into
one of six holes. According to the diameter of the hole,
water flowed in slowly or rapidly to fill the pistol chamber, at which point
a spring was released to thrust the percussion detonator against the primer
.

Regards
Gordon

Longmate from Old English "Lang-mæd" meaning "Dweller by the Long Meadow"

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