Squid (weapon)

Squid was a World War II ship-mounted anti-submarine weapon. It consisted of a three-barelled mortar which launched depth charges.

Literally ordered directly from the drawing board, this weapon was rushed into service in 1943 onboard HMS Ambuscade. This weapon was a three-barrel 12 inch (30.5 cm) mortar with the mortars mounted in series, one behind the other. The barrels were mounted in a frame that could be rotated 90 degrees for loading. The projectiles weighed 390 lbs. (177 kg) with a 207 lbs. (94 kg) minol charge. Sinking speed was 43.5 fps (13.3 mps) and a clockwork time fuze was used to set the depth. Maximum depth was 900 feet (274 m) and all three projectiles had to be set the same.

The weapons were automatically fired from the sonar range recorder at the proper moment. The pattern formed a triangle about 40 yards (37 m) on a side at a distance of 275 yards (250 m) ahead of the ship. The first successful use was by HMS Loch Killin on 31 July 1944, when she sank U-333.