Depth charges

Senk-blei, n. plumb bob plumb hne sounding lead, -boden, m. (Brewing) false bottom, strainer, -bombe, /. depth bomb, depth charge. 

Uses. Minols have historically been used in four types of ordnance, a) underwater (mines, torpedoes and depth charges) where the confinement of water offsets some of the loss of detonation velocity, b) blockbuster bombs in which a sustained and powerful impulse is more destructive than a high peak press, c) concrete fragmentation bombs where the high impulse will impart a satisfactory fragment velocity but will not pulverize the concrete they contact on impact, and d) in general purpose (GP) bombs... 

Anon, The Use of Aluminized Explosives in Depth Charge Mark VII , SS Report No 1160 (Oct 1942) 5) Anon, Blast Performance... 

Depth charges for use against submarines are similar in principle to... 

Note HBX-1 was recommended for use in booster charges and in depth charges (Refs 4, 5 6) ... 

Stettbacher (Refs 3 and 4) investigated Hellhoffit and its modifications and found that the glass-lined depth charges (Tiefenbomben) containing Hellhoffit, were much more effective than those loaded with Picric Acid. The mixture consisting of fuming nitric acid (d 1.52) 64.51,... 

Germany in mines, torpedoes, depth charges and Naval demolition containers Japan As type A explosive it was intended to be used in underwater ammunition to replace the type 97 explosive, TNT 60,... 

Austrian Ammonal T was developed by R. Forg to be used in underwater expls, such as torpedoes and depth charges. It consisted of AN, Al TNT (Vol 1 of Encycl, p A291-L table on p A290)... 

ASN of Tonegutti, proposed before WWII, consisted of AN 60, PETN 20, DCyDA 10 GuN (Guanidine Nitrate) 10%. It has-a low mp (104°) due to the presence of DCyDA GuN. It was used during WWII for loading Naval shells. When used in underwater ammunition, such as torpedoes, depth charges sea mines, its efficiency was increased by incorporating some A1 powder (Ref 28, p 320 and Ref 31, p 181 under Antisanzionite)... 

Bomba antisommergibile (bomba da getto bomba di profondita o bomba torpedine) Depth bomb or depth charge... 

Tritolital. Accdg to Ref 28, p 351 Ref 31, p 263, it is a castable explosive used during WWII by Italians and Germans for loading underwater weapons, such as torpedoes, depth charges sea mines. It consisted of TNT 60, RDX 20 ... 

As to Japanese ammunition itself, one can point out the great variety of improvised devices, such as Mines Depth Charges made from wooden boxes, burlap bags with rubber lining, oil drums Grenades made of pottery, glass gas pipes Booby Traps made of tin cans and Bangalore Torpedoes made of bamboo tubes... 

Depth Bomb Depth Charge (Bakurai). Accdg to Ref , p 61, the depth ehges of Japanses Navy, like its mines but unlike its torpedoes, are obsolete in design... 

The following types were used during WWII Type 88 Depth Charge was a metallic barrel 30.5 inches long and 17.7 inches in diam. This size was standard for all known depth charges. 

Type 91 Model 1 Modification 1 Depth Charge was similar to above and contd 220 lbs of Type 88 (qv) Expl. Operated at depths of 82 or 164 ft of water (p 62) ... 

Type 95 Depth Charge (Fig 33) was the regular issue charge until the appearance of the Type 2. 

Type 2 Depth Charge (Fig 35 on p 63) was loaded with 240 lbs of Type 1 Expl. This depth chge and its hydrostatic pistol (Fig 36 on p 63) were almost direct copies of British models. The pistol could be set for depths of 98, 197, 292, 390 and 480 feet (pp 62-3) ... 

Type 2 Mod 1 Depth Charge contd 357 lbs of Type 98 Expl or Type 97 as an alternate filling (P 63) ... 

Type 2 Mod 2 Depth Charge was filled with either Type 1 or 4 Expl (p 63) ... 

Kilogram Army Depth Charge (Fig 37 on p 64) was 20 inches long, 13 inches in diameter and carried a chge of approx 75 lbs of TNT. 

The firing mechanism (instead of hydrostatic pistol) was housed in a well at one end of the case. It was probably used on suicide boats (qv) Type 3 120 Kilogram Army Depth Charge (Experimental) was 24V inches long and 15% inches in diameter, filled with 200 lbs of HE (no data). It was fired by a pull igniter instead... 

Sea Mines and Depth Charges. It was identical with German expl compn Schiesswolle 18 oder TSMVI-101, described in PATR 2510 (1958), p Ger 177-L (See also Ref 1, p 32 Ref 5, p 361, under A (ko) Explosive)... 

Fig 39 of p 65) had mounted on its sides two 120-kg depth charges, which released when the boat struck its target. Some boats had a 3rd depth chge mounted over the stern... 

Its apparent density was 1.16 Brisance by Cu Cylinder Crusher Method 99% of PA Expln Temp 450° Impact Sensitivity 15cm (maximum for no explns with 5-kg wt) Power by Ballistic Mortar 72% PA Rate of Deton 4100 m/sec. Used press-loaded in some Depth Charges (Ref 5, p 374)... 

Used press-loaded in Sea Mines and depth Charges (Ref 5, p 375)... 

Type 4 Mk 3, K3. A It gray expl compn consisting of Amm Perchlorate 47, Amm Sulfate 32, ferrosilicon 20 and chloronaphthalene 1%. Its apparent d was 1.20 Brisance 83% PA Expln Temp 470° Impact Sensitivity 20cm Power 81% PA and Rate of Deton 2900m/sec. Used press-loaded in Sea Mines and Depth Charges (Ref 5, p 375) ... 

Type 4 Mk 6, K6. A gray expl compn consisting oi i>a ( morale o, wuuupuip o, oc petroleum oil 10%. Its appt d was 1.35 Brisance 78% PA Impact Sensy 17cm Power 67% PA and Rate of Deton, not given. Used in sea mines Depth. Charges (Ref 5, p 376)... 

The Navy used this expl compn loosely packed in Mines and Depth Charges, while the Army used it under the name of Karitto in Substitute Demolition Charges. It was proposed to use it also as a Solid Rocket Propellant... 

Mixtures with trinitroanisole have been employed in Japan e.g. the 98 H2 explosive, containing 60% of trinitroanisole and 40% of hexyl, which was used for filling bombs, torpedoes and depth charges. 

HNDPhA was used by the Germans during WWII in mixtures with 30—40% of TNT for cast-loading of torpedo warheads, sea mines, depth charges and the 400kg "skip bomb" known as "Kurt Apparatus"... 

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