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

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