Russia / USSR
ASW Weapons of World War II
Updated 20 November 2007
ASW Information
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Methods

Dropping depth charges off the stern via a rack or track was standard practice for destroyers and patrol ships in both World Wars.

Effectiveness

In World War I Russian ASW weapons and technology were primitive and ineffective with no enemy submarines being sunk by the Russian Navy with depth charges.   There were no sonars or any acoustic detection devices in the navy and no effective ASW doctrine.

In World War II only 7 German submarines were sunk by depth charges although a grand total of 88,000 depth charges were expended (although many were used to destroy magnetic mines and not submarines).

No Soviet ship had sonar until 1941 and most of them did not receive any until the middle of the war.  However, only 5% of the ships lost by the Soviet Navy were from submarine attacks and hence ASW efforts were not as important to the Soviet Navy as to other nations.
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Soviet Depth Charges

4B-M

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Date Of Design N/A
Date In Service 1930
Total Weight N/A
Explosive Charge N/A
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity N/A
Settings 40 feet (12 m) or 79 feet (24 m)
Notes:  Small depth charge based on a World War I depth charge design
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4B-B
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Date Of Design N/A
Date In Service 1930
Total Weight N/A
Explosive Charge N/A
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity N/A
Settings 40 feet (12 m), 79 feet (24 m), 118 feet (36 m) or 158 feet (48 m)
Notes:  Large depth charge based on a World War I depth charge design
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BB-1
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WAMRussian_ASW_BB-1_pic.jpg

BB-1 Depth Charge
Now at the Great Patriotic War Museum, Minsk, Belarus
Photograph copyrighted by Vladimir Yakubov 
Date of Design N/A
Date In Service 1933
Total Weight 363.7 lbs. (165 kg)
Explosive Charge 300 lbs. (135 kg) TNT
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity 7.55-8.2 fps (2.3-2.5 mps)
Settings N/A
Notes:  This was the main heavy depth charge of the Soviet Navy in World War II
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BM-1
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WAMRussian_ASW_BM-1_pic.jpg

BM-1 Depth Charge
Now at the Great Patriotic War Museum, Minsk, Belarus
Photograph copyrighted by Vladimir Yakubov 
Date Of Design N/A
Date In Service 1933
Total Weight 90 lbs. (45 kg)
Explosive Charge 55.1 lbs. (25 kg) TNT
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity 6.9 - 7.55 fps (2.1-2.3 mps)
Settings N/A
Notes:  The main light depth charge of the Soviet Navy in World War II
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Standard Depth Charge Racks
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The Soviet navy used two types of bomb racks.  B-1 was a lever rack for 20 large BB-1 large depth charges and M-1 was a scoop type rack for 32 BM-1 small depth charges. 
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Depth Charge Projectors

BMB-1

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Developed in 1940, this was the only Soviet depth charge projectors used by the navy, and they were nstalled on most Soviet destroyers in the first part of the war.  Range of 43 yards, 87.5 yards or 120 yards (40 m, 80m or 110m).  Angle of firing - 45 degrees.  Fired 1 bomb at a time.  Launcher weighted 427.7 lbs. (194 kg).
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Depth Charges and other ASW supplied under Lend-Lease

British Mark VII

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Date Of Design N/A
Date In Service 1939 (?)
Total Weight 420 lbs. (191 kg)
Explosive Charge 290 lbs. (132 kg) TNT
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity 9.9 fps (3.0 mps)
Settings 300 feet (91 m) max, later units 500 feet (182 m)
Notes:  The standard DC of the first three years of World War II.
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British Mark VIII Airborne DC
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Date Of Design 1941
Date In Service 1942
Total Weight 246 lbs. (111.6 kg)
Explosive Charge 170 lbs. (77 kg) Torpex
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity 6.9 - 8.2 fps (2.1-2.5 mps)
Settings 25 feet (7.6 m)
Notes:  Aircraft dropped DC.  Designed to fit standard 250 lbs. (113 kg) bomb racks.  Maximum drop limits of 750 feet (229 m) and 173 knots.  Had a terminal velocity of 600 fps (183 mps).
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USA Mark 10
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Date Of Design N/A
Date In Service N/A
Total Weight 63.9 lbs. (29 kg)
Explosive Charge 30.8 lbs. (14 kg) Torpex
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity 23.9 fps (7.3 mps)
Settings N/A
Notes:  Rocket propelled depth charge launched by Mark 10 launcher.
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USA Mark 20
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Date Of Design N/A
Date In Service N/A
Total Weight 65 lbs. (29.5 kg)
Explosive Charge 32 lbs. (14.5 kg) Torpex
Sink Rate / Terminal Velocity 24.9 - 25.6 fps (7.6 - 7.8 mps)
Settings N/A
Notes:  Rocket propelled depth charge launched by Mark 20 launcher.
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USA Mark 10 and Mark 11
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First Hedgehog projectors.  Adopted from the British 24-spigot mortar.  More popular and more successful with the USN than with the Royal Navy, possibly because of better sonar detection practices.  Production began in late 1942.  Projectiles were 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter and weighed 65 lbs. (29.5 kg) with an explosive charge of 35 lbs. (15.9 kg) of Torpex.  Sinking speed was 22-23.5 fps (6.7-7.2 mps).  Mark 10 fired an elliptical pattern 195 feet (59 m) in width and 168 feet (51 m) long at a range of 283 yards (259 m).  The Mark 11 fired a circular pattern 267 yards (244 m) wide at a range of 267 yards (244 m) from the firing ship.  Could be trained up to 25 degrees by tilting the firing platform.  Reload time was 3 minutes.  Typical blind time was 10 seconds in flight plus 18.2 seconds to sink to 200 feet (61 m).  Total weight for a dual installation and six reloads was 28,720 lbs. (13,027 kg).  Used by the Soviet Navy under lend lease.
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USA Mark 20
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Mousetrap rocket projector with four rails.  This weapon was originally classified as a Rocket Launcher and retained its original Mark number when reclassified as an ASW projector.  This weapon was intended to take the place of Hedgehog on smaller ships.  An 85 lbs. (39 kg) warhead was originally fitted, but this was too heavy to man-handle in rough seas.  The warhead was changed to that of the Hedgehog.  Compared to Hedgehog, this weapon was rocket propelled rather than a spigot mortar, i.e., the propellant burned more slowly.  Usually fitted in pairs and could not be compensated for rolling.  Used by the Soviet Navy under lend lease.
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Data from
"Sovetskie Boevye Korabli 1941-45:  IV Vooruzhnie" (Soviet Warships 1941-45:  Volume IV Armament) by A.V. Platonov
Special help from Vladimir Yakubov