The 'Absurd' British Weapon That U-Boat Commanders Feared Most

May 1943. North Atlantic. A British frigate attacked a U-boat with depth charges. By the time charges exploded, the submarine had dived to 300 feet and escaped. This happened dozens of times every month. Success rate: 1 kill per 40 attacks (2.5%).
Then British engineers designed something that looked absurd: a three-barreled mortar that threw depth charges FORWARD instead of backward. Naval experts questioned whether it could work. "The recoil might crack a destroyer hull," they said.
By 1944, Squid was operational. By war's end: 17 confirmed U-boat kills, 1 kill per 3 attacks (32% success rate). German U-boat commanders called it "the weapon they feared most."
This is how British naval engineering turned U-boat hunting from random chance into mathematical certainty—40 times more effective than conventional depth charges.
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THE PROBLEM (1939-1943):

Depth charges rolled off stern or fired from sides
Ship lost sonar contact in final 300 yards (submarine passed under hull)
U-boat had 90 seconds blind time to dive and turn
Success rate: 2.5% (23,000 attacks = 569 kills)
U-boats built faster than sunk
Royal Navy losing Battle of the Atlantic

THE "ABSURD" SOLUTION:

Squid: 3-barrel forward-throwing mortar
Threw depth charges 275 yards AHEAD of ship
Maintained sonar contact throughout attack
Tight triangular pattern (80 feet between charges)
All 3 charges detonated simultaneously at exact depth
Automatic depth setting (linked to sonar)
Eliminated "blind zone" completely

SQUID SPECIFICATIONS:

Barrels: 3× 10-inch diameter mortars
Charge weight: 206 lbs each (120 lbs Minol explosive)
Range: 200-400 yards ahead
Pattern: 80-foot triangle
Detonation: Simultaneous at exact depth (±5 feet)
Kill radius: 50 feet pressure wave
Damage radius: 100 feet
Reload time: 30 seconds (trained crew)
Cost per installation: £2,000
Cost per 3-charge attack: £60

COMBAT RECORD (July 1944 - May 1945):

First kill: U-737 (July 31, 1944) - HMS Loch Killin, first combat deployment
Total attacks: 53
Confirmed kills: 17 U-boats
Severe damage (aborted patrols): 12 submarines
Success rate: 32% (1 kill per 3 attacks)
Ships equipped by war's end: 70 frigates
vs. Depth charges: 13x more effective
vs. Conventional attacks: 40x better kill ratio

THE TRANSFORMATION:
Before Squid: 1 in 40 attacks killed U-boat (2.5%)
After Squid: 1 in 3 attacks killed U-boat (32%)
WHY SQUID DOMINATED:

Forward-throwing = No blind zone - Sonar contact maintained throughout attack
Automatic depth setting - Eliminated human calculation error
Simultaneous detonation - All 3 charges at exact submarine depth
Tight pattern - 80-foot triangle impossible to evade in 2 seconds
Time compression - U-boats had 20 seconds warning (vs. 90 seconds for depth charges)

GERMAN TESTIMONY:
U-boat commanders: "The fast attack weapon. Not enough time for deep diving. Not enough time for hard turns. Just enough time to realize death was coming."
Kriegsmarine intelligence report (1944): "British have solved the forward throwing problem. Recommend U-boats avoid convoy close approach when Squid-equipped escorts detected." (Impossible advice - avoiding convoys = mission failure)
COMPARISON: SQUID vs. HEDGEHOG vs. DEPTH CHARGES:
Depth Charges:

Direction: Backward/sideways
Pattern: Wide (100 yards diameter)
Detonation: Time/depth fused
Success rate: 2.5%
Blind zone: 300 yards (lost contact)
Warning time: 90 seconds

Hedgehog (American):

Projectiles: 24 small charges
Pattern: Circular (150 feet diameter)
Detonation: Contact only
Success rate: 25%
Advantage: Forward-throwing
Disadvantage: Must hit submarine to detonate

Squid (British):

Charges: 3 large mortars
Pattern: Triangle (80 feet)
Detonation: Automatic depth, simultaneous
Success rate: 32%
Advantage: Kills whether it hits or not (pressure wave)
Result: Most effective Allied ASW weapon

TIMELINE:
0:00 - The Depth Charge Failure
2:30 - The Battle of Atlantic Crisis
5:00 - Why Conventional Weapons Failed
7:30 - The "Absurd" British Solution
10:00 - Squid Development (1941-1944)
12:30 - Engineering Challenges (Recoil Problem)
15:00 - First Combat: U-737 Destroyed
18:00 - Kill Rate Statistics: 40x Better
21:00 - German Fear: "Fast Attack Weapon"
24:00 - Squid vs. Hedgehog vs. Depth Charges
27:00 - 17 Confirmed Kills in 10 Months
30:00 - Cost-Benefit: £60 Attack vs. £300K Merchant Ship
32:30 - Strategic Impact: Battle of Atlantic Final Year
34:00 - Post-War: NATO Standard Through 1977


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© Content based on Royal Navy records, technical documentation, and combat reports. This video analyzes how British engineers turned submarine hunting from 2.5% success into 32% certainty—the weapon German U-boat commanders feared most.