Barrage attack (naval tactic)
Encyclopedia
The barrage attack was developed during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II
as an anti submarine measure.
It was first used by 2 Support Group of the Royal Navy
after being developed by the groups commanding officer, Captain "Johnnie" Walker
.
The barrage attack was a measure devised by Walker to deal with a U-boat
that had gone deep, and was using the time taken by the attacking escort’s depth charge
s to sink to move aside. The design of submarines, to resist the enormous pressure of the water at depth, made them also resistant to the effects of underwater explosions; a depth charge of the Second World War would need to explode within 26 feet of its target to have any serious effect.
The barrage, referred to by the group as “the bosses special” involved three ships moving in line abreast over the target area; at the word of command each ship would lay a series of depth charge patterns, one after the other, in a carpet. The cumulative effect of the explosions, sometimes up to 80 in one attack would have a devastating effect on their target.
The barrage was expensive of resources, and could quickly empty an escort’s magazine, so it could only be used on stubborn cases. The practice of equipping convoy ships with reserves of depth charges to re-arm escorts when necessary went some way to alleviate this problem.
The advent of more effective weapons, such as Squid
and the Mk X depth charge also made the barrage less necessary.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as an anti submarine measure.
It was first used by 2 Support Group of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
after being developed by the groups commanding officer, Captain "Johnnie" Walker
Frederic John Walker
Captain Frederic John Walker, CB, DSO and three Bars, RN was a British Royal Navy officer noted for his exploits during World War II...
.
The barrage attack was a measure devised by Walker to deal with a U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
that had gone deep, and was using the time taken by the attacking escort’s depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s to sink to move aside. The design of submarines, to resist the enormous pressure of the water at depth, made them also resistant to the effects of underwater explosions; a depth charge of the Second World War would need to explode within 26 feet of its target to have any serious effect.
The barrage, referred to by the group as “the bosses special” involved three ships moving in line abreast over the target area; at the word of command each ship would lay a series of depth charge patterns, one after the other, in a carpet. The cumulative effect of the explosions, sometimes up to 80 in one attack would have a devastating effect on their target.
The barrage was expensive of resources, and could quickly empty an escort’s magazine, so it could only be used on stubborn cases. The practice of equipping convoy ships with reserves of depth charges to re-arm escorts when necessary went some way to alleviate this problem.
The advent of more effective weapons, such as Squid
Squid (weapon)
Squid was a British World War II ship-mounted anti-submarine weapon. It consisted of a three-barrelled mortar which launched depth charges. It replaced the Hedgehog system, and was in turn replaced by the Limbo system....
and the Mk X depth charge also made the barrage less necessary.