They Mocked Its 'Silly' Appearance — Until It Became The U Boat's Worst Nightmare

Описание: For years, Allied ships had to drive directly over a U-boat to drop depth charges—blindly guessing where the enemy was. Then, they invented the Hedgehog.

In this video, we explore the Hedgehog Anti-Submarine Projector, the weird-looking spigot mortar that turned the tide of the Battle of the Atlantic. Unlike traditional depth charges, which required a ship to lose sonar contact at the critical moment, the Hedgehog allowed destroyers to attack while still tracking their target.

It fired a circular pattern of 24 contact-fuzed bombs 200 yards ahead of the ship. If one exploded, you knew you had a hit. If they missed, the water remained undisturbed, allowing the hunt to continue without "deafening" the sonar.


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Sources, Further Reading & Notes

Primary Sources & Archives
• Admiralty Anti-Submarine Warfare reports (1939–45): operational analyses, attack summaries (TNA UK: ADM 1, 116, 199, 234).
• DMWD papers: development of spigot mortars and ahead-throwers (TNA UK).
• RN gunnery/ASW manuals (BR series, 1942–45): Hedgehog employment, Asdic procedures.
• USN BuOrd & Fleet Training circulars (1943–46): Hedgehog/Mousetrap specs and doctrine (NARA RG 38).
• War Diaries/Action Reports: USS England (May 1944), HMS Orchis (Aug 1944), Western Approaches escort groups.
• Operational Research sections (RN/USN): kill-ratio studies and convoy defense assessments.

Academic & Historical Works
• Roskill, The War at Sea.
• Blair, Hitler’s U-Boat War.
• Morison, US Naval Operations in WWII.
• Hackmann, Seek & Strike.
• Budiansky, Blackett’s War.
• Friedman, British Destroyers & Frigates; U.S. Destroyers.
• Milner, Battle of the Atlantic.
• Campbell, Naval Weapons of WWII.
• Lambert & Ross, Allied Coastal Forces.

Technical & Ordnance References
• RN/USN ordnance handbooks (1943–46): warheads, fuzes, pattern geometry.
• NavWeaps (7.2-inch Hedgehog).
• IWM & National Museum RN: photographs, ship-fit diagrams, oral histories.

Case Studies
• USS England vs. six Japanese submarines (May 1944).
• HMS Orchis vs. U-741 (Aug 1944).
• Late-war coordinated hunts (e.g., U-853, 1945).

Additional Research Aids
• The National Archives (UK) and NARA (US): logs, war diaries, convoy files.
• NHHC: ship histories and deck logs.
• uboat.net: engagement data and cross-checks.
• IWM & Commonwealth naval heritage sites: ASW training materials and exhibits.

Notes for Viewers
• Ahead-throwing, contact-fuzed projectors improved ASW by allowing continuous sonar contact during attack.
• Kill ratios vary by source; cross-reference official histories with technical and OR studies.
• If the subject matter feels heavy, take breaks or explore museum explainers and oral histories.
• Have a favorite Hedgehog/ASW source? Share it so others can use it.


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