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- Initially, the commander-in-chief of RAF Coastal Command and his civilian scientists were in agreement, but differences over weapon size almost led to the abandonment of the most promising aerial anti-U-boat weapon, the 250-pound Torpex-filled airborne depth charge.
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This depth charge contained 200 lb (91 kg) of Torpex. 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.
May 6, 2018 · In the climactic year of 1943, Torpex-loaded aerial depth charges sank 87 U-boats, out of 219 destroyed in 1943, helping to shift control of the seas away from Germany and to the U.S. and Great Britain.
In 1943, Torpex a 50% more powerful explosive than TNT, was introduced along with a more streamlined depth charge casing that resulted in an improved sinking rate of the weapon. This was of course an improvement yet a great deal of U-boats escaped its grasp.
The Americans began the war with two types of depth charges. The Mark 6 depth charge had a 300 lb (136 kg) charge of TNT and could be set to explode at 30 to 300 feet (9 to 90 meters). The sinking rate was 8 feet per second (2.4 m/s).
Besides torpedoes, naval mines, and depth charges, Torpex was only used in the Upkeep, Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs [3] as well as the drones employed in Operation Aphrodite. [4] Torpex has long been superseded by H6 and Polymer-bonded explosive (PBX) compositions.
Torpex 2, which is now being used, is 42% RDX, 40% TNT, 18% Aluminum powder (1% wax added). It is used in mines, torpedo war heads, and depth bombs. Torpex is more sensitive than TNT; its bullet impact and drop test sensitivities are of the same order as those of Tetryl.
Depth charges with adjustable depth setting and greater depth capability allowed either fast or slow vessels to use the 300-pound charges. Some Royal Navy antisubmarine vessels were equipped with as few as two depth charges in early 1916 and four charges by the end of the year.
