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 Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar. Hedgehogs 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 (183 mm) rockets saved weight and were easier to install.
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The rockets weighed 65 pounds (29 kg) each, with a 33-pound (15 kg) Torpex warhead and contact pistol, exactly like Hedgehog.[ citation needed ]
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]
