Hedgehog (weapon)

The Hedgehog (also known as an Anti-Submarine Projector) was a forward-throwing <a href="/facts/Anti-submarine_weapon/auG9IyqG">anti-submarine weapon</a> that was used primarily during the <a href="/facts/Second_World_War/2efV5L1U">Second World War</a>. The device, which was developed by the <a href="/facts/Royal_Navy/Xdy8YCH7">Royal Navy</a>, fired up to 24 <a href="/facts/Spigot_mortar/2vs8xEBx">spigot mortars</a> ahead of a ship when attacking a <a href="/facts/U-boat/GgjbMzMT">U-boat</a>. It was deployed on <a href="/facts/Convoy/03yMx0P1">convoy</a> escort <a href="/facts/Warship/Vxbv36In">warships</a> such as <a href="/facts/Destroyer/bkYL7bI8">destroyers</a> and <a href="/facts/Corvette/KrdbemWU">corvettes</a> to supplement the <a href="/facts/Depth_charge/bLMx1yF9">depth charges</a>.
As the mortar projectiles employed <a href="/facts/Contact_fuze/w6LuT0yI">contact fuzes</a> rather than <a href="/facts/Fuze/uGhu5xbF">time</a> or <a href="/facts/Bathymetric/vnYgY6qK">bathymetric (depth) fuzes</a>, detonation occurred directly against a hard surface such as the hull of a submarine making it more deadly than <a href="/facts/Depth_charge/bLMx1yF9">depth charges</a>, which relied on damage caused by <a href="/facts/Hydrostatic_pressure/GYu6ljQ0">hydrostatic shockwaves</a>. During World War II out of 5,174 British depth charge attacks there were 85.5 kills, a ratio of 60.5 to 1. In comparison, the Hedgehog made 268 attacks for 47 kills, a ratio of 5.7 to 1.

Hedgehog (weapon) open-in-new

Hedgehog (weapon)