Mousetrap (anti-Submarine Projector, Marks 20 and 22) was an anti submarine rocket launcher used mainly during World War II by the United States Navy[1] and Coast Guard.[2] Its development began in 1941 as a replacement for Hedgehoganti-submarine mortar. Those were spigot-launched, which placed considerable strain on the launching vessel's deck, whereas Mousetrap was rocket-propelled. As a result, Mousetrap's four or eight rails for 7.2-inch (183mm) rockets saved weight and were easier to install.
By the end of the war, over 100 Mark 22 Mousetraps were mounted in U.S. Navy ships, including three each on 12 destroyers,[1] and submarine chasers (usually two sets of rails).[3]
Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. (1978). "Mousetrap". The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Weapons and Warfare. Vol.18. London: Phoebus Publishing. pp.1946–1947. OCLC271437802.
The RUR-5 ASROC is an all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system. Developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s, it was deployed in the 1960s, updated in the 1990s, and eventually installed on over 200 USN surface ships, specifically cruisers, destroyers, and frigates. The ASROC has been deployed on scores of warships of many other navies, including Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Greece, Pakistan and others.
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarines by detonating in the water near the target and subjecting it to a destructive hydraulic shock. Most depth charges use high explosives with a fuze set to detonate the charge, typically at a specific depth from the surface. Depth charges can be dropped by ships, patrol aircraft and helicopters.
The Mark 46 torpedo is the backbone of the United States Navy's lightweight anti-submarine warfare torpedo inventory and is the NATO standard. These aerial torpedoes are designed to attack high-performance submarines. In 1989, an improvement program for the Mod 5 to the Mod 5A and Mod 5A(S) increased its shallow-water performance. The Mark 46 was initially developed as Research Torpedo Concept I, one of several weapons recommended for implementation by Project Nobska, a 1956 summer study on submarine warfare.
The Hedgehog was a forward-throwing anti-submarine weapon that was used primarily during the Second World War. The device, which was developed by the Royal Navy, fired up to 24 spigot mortars ahead of a ship when attacking a U-boat. It was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers and corvettes to supplement the depth charges.
USS Bluefish (SSN-675), a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bluefish.
The RP-3 was a British air-to-ground rocket projectile introduced during the Second World War. The "3 inch" designation referred to the nominal diameter of the rocket motor tube. The use of a 60 lb (27 kg) warhead gave rise to the alternative name of the "60-pound rocket". Though an air-to-ground weapon, it saw limited use in other roles. They were generally used by British fighter-bomber aircraft against targets such as tanks, trains, motor transport and buildings, as well as by Coastal Command and Royal Navy aircraft against U-boats and ships.
The Unrotated Projectile (UP) was a British anti-aircraft and ground-bombardment rocket of the Second World War.
Anti-submarine mortars are artillery pieces deployed on ships for the purpose of sinking submarines by a direct hit with a small explosive charge. They are often larger versions of the mortar used by infantry and fire a projectile in relatively the same manner. They were created during World War II as a development of the depth charge and work on the same principle.
An anti-submarine missile is a standoff anti-submarine weapon, often a specialized variant of anti-ship missile. Anti-submarine missile usually include a jet or rocket engine and a warhead aimed directly at a submarine. In these missiles, a torpedo or a depth charge is used as a warhead. The anti-submarine missile can be either a cruise missile or a ballistic missile.
The RUR-4 "Weapon Alpha" was an American naval ahead-throwing anti submarine rocket launcher. It was designed between 1946 and 1949, and was installed on warships from 1951 to 1969. Unlike depth charges, it was designed to attack enemy submarines without requiring the attacking ship to be located directly above the submarine being attacked.
The Armstrong Whitworth 12-inch naval gun of 40 calibres length was designed by and manufactured mainly by Armstrong's ordnance branch, Elswick Ordnance Company. It was intended for the Royal Navy's Royal Sovereign-class battleships, but budgetary constraints delayed their introduction. The first units were instead supplied to Japan. As the Type 41 12-inch (305 mm) 40-calibre naval gun it was the standard main battery on several early United Kingdom-built pre-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Mark 35 torpedo was the first of the United States Navy deep-diving anti-submarine torpedoes designed for surface launch. This electrically propelled 21-inch (53-cm) torpedo was 162 inches long, weighed 1770 lb (803 kg), and carried a 270 lb (122.5 kg) Torpex high explosive warhead. This torpedo used one of the earliest active guidance systems and was introduced in 1949, and was classified as obsolete in the 1960s.
The Mark 16 torpedo was a redesign of the United States Navy's standard Mark 14 torpedo in use during World War II. It incorporated war-tested improvements into a weapon designed to be used in unmodified United States fleet submarines. Due to high unit cost and the Mark 14's unreliability issues being solved by mid-1943, they were never put into mass production.
There have been a number of 21-inch (53.3cm) torpedoes in service with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.
The Type 41 3-inch (76 mm) naval gun otherwise known as the 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun was a Japanese dual-purpose gun introduced before World War I. Although designated as 8 cm (3.15 in), its shells were 76.2 mm (3 in) in diameter.
The Dealey-class destroyer escorts were the first post-World War II escort ships built for the United States Navy.
The Mark 21 Mod 2 torpedo, was a passive acoustic homing variant of the Mark 13 torpedo. It used the widely used Mark 13 torpedo as a basis, with the addition of passive acoustic homing developed by Bell Labs.
The RBU-1200 is a anti submarine rocket launcher. The weapon system is remotely similar to the British Hedgehog anti submarine mortar launcher from the Second World War.
Multiple 32 cm torpedoes are in use by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, following the adoption of the standard in the second half of the 20th century.
Anti-submarine rocket is an anti-submarine weapon type deployed on surface ships for the purpose of sinking or damageing submarines by small explosive charges. They are similar to anti-submarine mortar but comparably more modern system. This type of weapon used rocket instead of spigot mortars to deliver the explosive.
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