Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - Weapons and Technology

Combatants in the battle of the Atlantic relied on weapons and technology to attack the enemy, to defend themselves, to communicate, and to rescue friends and foes.

Hedgehog Anti-submarine Projectile

Starting in mid-1943, Canadian escort vessels began to be equipped with the Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar, which fired groups of projectiles like this.

The Hedgehog shot 24 depth-bombs over 200 metres in front of a warship. The projectiles, which sank in a broad elliptical pattern, would explode on contact with a submarine's hull. The Hedgehog offered a major advantage over conventional depth charges because it allowed an attacking ship to track the targeted submarine with ASDIC (sonar) up to the moment of firing.

Projectile, Anti-submarine, Hedgehog
CWM 19680174-001