A
depth charge is a bomb used to destroy
submarines. Depth charges have been in service since
World War I and have sunk many submarines.
A depth charge is shapped like a can, or small barrel It contains high explosive a fuse, and an adjustable pressure switch as a triggering mechanism. A wrench is used to adjust the charge to go off at the desired depth.
Depth charges can be delivered in many ways. First of all, they can be dropped from aircraft. Such weapons are generally preset for a very shallow depth because it was assumed that the submarine spotted by a plane could not have gone deep. In addition they can be rolled from a rack, not unlike those inside a drink dispenser. Or they can be lauched by a special type of mortar which has the advantaged of spreading the charges farther out.
During World War II the killing range of a depth charge was approximately 30 feet. Because of their shape, they sink slowly, allowing a maneuvering sub some possibilty of escape. In addition, the attacker must know-- or successfully guess-- the submarine's depth. Another disadvantage of the weapon is that when depth charges go off, the disturb the water sufficiently to ruin the sonar picture for some time. Nevertheless, they were the most popular anti-submarine weapons of the war, and remain in service of most navies today. Later in World War II, a contact based weapon called hedehog was developed, that complemented depth charges. Today, depth charges have been supplanted by the homing torpedo, such as the US Mk. 48, as the primary anti-submarine weapon of this day.