Quote:
Originally Posted by vdr1981
Question:
What would be considered "safe range" from exploding depth charge,historically? Range from which DC won't do any significant damage to sub hull except some shaking and playing with crew's nerves...Gap?
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I'm not gap, but here's some information I've been able to collect about different depth charge types. You'd be most interested in "Lethality Distance" (the maximum distance at which an explosion irreparably ruptured the pressure hull) and "Damage Distance" (the maximum distance at which the depth charge caused some level of damage).
Type D, Mk. III
Availability: 1917, still in service in 1940 (navweaps)
Explosive Charge: 300 lbs. (136 kg.) TNT, replaced with Amatol in 1917 (navweaps)
Sink Rate: 7 fps (2.1 mps) (navweaps)
Depth Settings: 300 feet max. (91 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance: 14 feet (4.3 m) (navweaps)
Damage Distance: 28 feet (8 m) (Henry, 62)
Notes: Used from late WWI up through 1940 due to insufficiency of Mk. VII at beginning of WWII (navweapons)
Mk. VII
Availability: 1939 (?) (navweaps)
Explosive Charge: 290 lbs. (132 kg.) amatol, later minor; TNT also used in hot climates (Brown, 37)
Sink Rate: 7 fps (2.1 mps) initially, accelerating to 9.9 fps (3.0 mps) at 250 feet (76.2 m) (Brown, 37)
Depth Settings: 300 feet max. (91 m), later 500 feet (182 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance: 20 feet (6.1 m), 26 feet (7.9 m) for minol version (Brown, 37; navweaps)
Damage Distance: 40 feet (12 m), 52 feet (15.8 m) for minol version (Brown, 37; navweaps)
Notes: Standard depth charge for first three years of war (navweaps)
Mk. VII (Heavy)
Availability: 1940
Explosive Charge: 420 lbs. (191 kg.) TNT, later Minol in 1942 (navweaps)
Sink Rate: 16.8 fps (5.1 mps) (navweaps)
Depth Settings: 300 feet max. (91 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance: 20 feet (6.1 m), 26 feet (7.9 m) for minol version (navweaps; Brown, 40)
Damage Distance: 40 feet (12 m), 52 feet (15.8 m) for minol version (navweaps; Brown, 40)
Notes: Had a 68 kg weight attached to increase sink rate.
Mk. VII Airborne
Availability: 1941
Explosive Charge: 290 lbs. (132 kg.) TNT (navweaps)
Sink Rate: 9.9 fps (3.0 mps) (navweaps)
Depth Settings: 25 feet (7.6 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance:
Damage Distance:
Notes: Converted for use on aircraft. Minimum aircraft drop speed and altitude were 150 knots and 150 feet (46 m) (navweaps)
Mk. VIII Airborne
Availability: 1942
Explosive Charge: 170 lbs. (77 kg.) Torpex (navweaps)
Sink Rate:
Depth Settings: 25 feet (7.6 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance:
Damage Distance:
Notes: Maximum speed and altitude were 173 knots and 750 feet (229 m). Terminal velocity of 600 fps (183 mps) (navweaps)
Mk. X
Availability: Trials in March 1942 (Henry, 150), introduced in December 1942 (Brown, 40)
Explosive Charge: 2000 lbs. (907 kg.) TNT (navweaps)
Sink Rate: 6 fps (1.8 mps) (navweaps)
Depth Settings: 220 feet (67 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Dist:
Damage Dist:
Notes: Launched from 21 torpedo tube (navweaps). Launched from stern of Captain class frigate; very few were ever used, but those that were recorded a kill rate of 50% (Henry, 150)
Mk. XI Airborne
Availability: 1942 (navweaps)
Explosive Charge: 170 lbs. (77 kg.) Torpex (navweaps)
Sink Rate:
Depth Settings: 25 feet (7.6 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance:
Damage Distance:
Notes: Improved Mk. VIII with concave nose to reduce ricochets. Speed and altitude limits were 250 knots and 1250 feet (381 m) (navweaps)
US Mk. 8
Availability: first issued to Atlantic destroyer escorts in 1944 (Friedman, 124)
Explosive Charge: 270 lbs. (122 kg) (navweaps)
Sink Rate: 11.2 fps (Friedman, 123)
Depth Settings: magnetic fuse, set to explode 20-25 feet from target (Friedman, 123)
Lethality Distance:
Damage Distance:
Notes: Reportedly 7 times as lethal as Mk. 9 Mod 1 and 5.5 times as lethal as Mk. 9 Mod 2. (Friedman, 123)
US Mk. 9 (Mod 1)
Availability: entered service in spring 1943 (Friedman, 123)
Explosive Charge: 200 lbs. (91 kg) (navweaps)
Sink Rate: slower than 22.7 fps (Friedman, 123)
Depth Settings: 50-300 feet (15-91 m) initially, later 600 feet (183 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance: 21 feet (?) (Friedman, 125)
Damage Distance:
Notes:
US Mk. 9 (Mod 2)
Availability:
Explosive Charge:
Sink Rate: 22.7 fps (Friedman, 123)
Depth Settings: up to 600 feet (183 m), possibly up to 1000 feet (305 m) (navweaps)
Lethality Distance: 21 feet (?) (Friedman, 125)
Damage Distance:
Notes: