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Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - Weapons and Technology

Combatants in the battle of the Atlantic relied on weapons and technology to attack the enemy, to defend themselves, to communicate, and to rescue friends and foes.

Squid Anti-submarine Mortar
Squid Anti-submarine Mortar

The three-barrelled Squid anti-submarine mortar was the ultimate weapon used against German U-Boats (submarines) by Allied ships during the Second World War.

The Squid fired three projectiles, each loaded with over 90 kilograms of explosives, into the water ahead of an attacking ship. The projectiles' explosions were intended to surround a submarine in a three-dimensional pattern. A precision weapon, Squid required advanced ASDIC (sonar) equipment, and was fitted to relatively few Canadian ships, although it was more widely used after the war. In December 1944, HMCS St. Thomas sank U-877 with a Squid attack.

Mortar, Anti-submarine, Squid
CWM 19760561-026





4-inch Naval Gun and Mounting
.5-inch Vickers Mk III Heavy Machine-gun
"Pom-Pom" Anti-Aircraft Gun, HMCS Kamloops
Anti-Aircraft Gun and Crew in Action
Depth Charge and Thrower
Hedgehog Anti-submarine Projectile
Squid Anti-submarine Mortar
"Squid Explosion", HMCS Copper Cliff
ASDIC Hut
Protection
Medium Frequency Direction Finding Loop
Binnacle, HMCS Swansea
Gyroscopic Compass
Sextant
Taffrail Log
Wheel House
Fueling Mid Atlantic
German Signal Lamp
W/T Operator and Messenger
"Mae West" Life Belts, HMCS St. Laurent
Royal Canadian Navy Life Vest
Royal Canadian Navy Lifeboat Bailer
Lee-Enfield Line-throwing Rifle