A nuclear depth bomb is the nuclear equivalent of the conventional depth charge, and can be used in anti-submarine warfare for attacking submerged submarines. The Royal Navy, Soviet Navy, and United States Navy had nuclear depth bombs in their arsenals at one point. United States conducted the Swordfish test of the RUR-5 ASROC nuclear depth bomb off San Diego in 1962. Due to the use of a nuclear warhead of much greater explosive power than that of the conventional depth charge, the nuclear depth bomb considerably increases the likelihood (to the point of near certainty) of the destruction of the attacked submarine.
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Eventually, the Americans and British developed a depth bomb that sank slowly and exploded at the desired depth to destroy the target submarine. By 1943, this weapon had become the standard for aircraft attacks on submarines.
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They were widely used in World War I and World War II. They remained part of the anti- submarine arsenals of many navies during the Cold War. Depth charges have now largely been replaced by anti-submarine homing torpedoes. The Mk 101 Lulu was a US nuclear depth bomb operational from 1958-1972 A depth charge fitted with a nuclear warhead is also known as a "nuclear depth bomb". These were designed to be dropped from a patrol plane or deployed by an anti-submarine missile from a surface ship, or another submarine, located a safe distance away.
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The fuselage, holding Ogg and Zogg, crashes into the ocean, detonating the nuclear depth bomb. Clinging to the auto-rotating helicopter section, the Stooges survive, crashing through the roof of the television studio in the nick of time and saving their careers.
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They land near a test rig where a test nuclear depth bomb is set up. The Stooges take the bomb, thinking it is a carburetor, and fasten it to the engine. Water, meant to detonate the bomb, shoots out of the testing rig. The military is bewildered by test's failure.
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The depth bomb version of the B57, for the U.S. Navy, replaced the Mk 101 Lulu and had selectable yield up to 10 kt. The B57 used the Tsetse primary design for its core design, shared with several other mid- and late-1950s designs. The B57 was produced from 1963 to 1967.
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The missile was a two-stage rocket with inertial guidance, which could not be corrected after launch. The missile carried a nuclear depth bomb warhead of up to 10 kilotons in yield. The warhead could detonate at a depth of up to 200 m and had a lethal radius of 1.2 to 1.5 km against a submarine target.
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Although this variant matched the original Improved Kiloton Weapon concept with an added nuclear depth bomb function, and was identified as the A model, it was not the first to be deployed, due to the more pressing needs for the strategic B models. At least forty-three were deployed aboard Royal Navy surface vessels of frigate size and larger; for use by embarked helicopters and Ikara systems (where fitted) as an anti-submarine nuclear depth bomb, starting in 1971. Ikara performed a similar function to the US Navy's ASROC missile, which could also carry a nuclear warhead. The addition of a nuclear option to Ikara was intended to significantly improve its kill probability, while providing the escort commander with an instant-response, all-weather, all-conditions weapon to deploy against time-urgent targets.
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Fredericton was armed with one gun forward and a pom-pom gun mounted aft. Two Oerlikon cannon were mounted on the bridge wings for air defence. Depth charges, which were rolled from the stern through two ports or thrown from four launchers aft were used for anti-submarine warfare. Later in the war, she was outfitted with the more effective Hedgehog depth bomb throwers.
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Mk-101 Lulu NDB (Nuclear Depth Bomb). The Mark 101 Lulu was an airdropped nuclear depth charge developed by the U. S. Navy and the Atomic Energy Commission during the 1950s. It carried a W34 nuclear warhead, with an explosive yield of about 11 kilotons. It was deployed by the U.S. Navy for the purposes of antisubmarine warfare, in at least five different models, from 1958 through 1971.
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WE.177A would also be used by the Royal Navy, both for surface attack, as well as a nuclear depth bomb, or NDB. When AGM-48 Skybolt was cancelled, part of the resulting Nassau Agreement was the replacement of Skybolt with the Polaris missile. Polaris A3T used its own warhead design, W58. The W58 was also rejected by the British because it also used PBX-9404 in its primary.
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Satisfied that she had done her best, Trepang, heading to seaward, suddenly shuddered under the impact of two depth bomb explosions. A solitary Japanese plane had spotted Trepangs shadow in the shallow waters and had attacked with depth bombs. Fortunately, all missed their mark. Given another lifeguarding assignment, Trepang stood on the alert to pick up possible downed airmen from British and American carrier strikes on the Japanese home islands.
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Because of this, it is primarily used for pinpointing the location of a submarine immediately prior to a torpedo or depth bomb attack. Due to the sensitivity of the detector, electromagnetic noise can interfere with it, so the detector is placed in P-3's fiberglass tail stinger (MAD boom), far from other electronics and ferrous metals on the aircraft."Air Anti-Submarine Warfare ." fas.org. Retrieved: 14 July 2010.
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The 0.5 kt yield was used only in the nuclear depth bomb role for detonation above in shallow coastal waters, or in oceanic deep waters to limit damage to nearby shipping. The full 10 kt yield was used below in deep oceanic waters where no shipping was at risk. The full 10 kt yield was also used by fixed-wing aircraft for surface attack. It had air burst, ground burst or laydown delivery options.
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It allows the torpedo or nuclear depth bomb to enter the water practically on top of the submarine's position, minimizing the submarine's ability to detect and evade the attack. Missiles are also more rapid and accurate in many cases than helicopters or aircraft for dropping torpedoes and depth charges, with a typical interval of 1 to 1.5 minutes from a launch decision to torpedo splashdown. Helicopters frequently take much longer to just get off the escort's deck.
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The ship was completely electrically welded and assembled on the slope from sections produced in the RDM workshops. There are no portholes in the hull, so that all rooms are artificially illuminated and ventilated. The main armament consists of four 12 cm guns, arranged in two double towers, which can be used for both sea and air targets. Furthermore, there are one machine gun of 40 mm, two rocket depth bombers, two depth bomb racks and no helicopters.
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An acronym from long range [aid to] navigation. LORAN transmitters, located at known points allowed an antisubmarine aircraft to receive signals from three stations, allowing the aircraft to pinpoint its location to within four miles as far as 1,500 miles from the transmitters. LORAN permitted efficient control of converging air and surface forces for a coordinated attack. The 1st also helped develop an effective depth bomb fuses that could be set for as little as about 25 feet.
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After shakedown, Santee departed Bermuda on 25 October and headed for the coast of Africa. While the escort carrier was en route on 30 October, an SBD Dauntless being launched from a catapult dropped a depth bomb onto the flight deck. It rolled off the deck and detonated close to the port bow shaking the entire ship, carrying away the rangefinder and a searchlight base, and damaging radar antennas. Nevertheless, Santee continued steaming with Task Group 34.2 (TG 34.2).
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Mk. 17 depth bomb is being unloaded from a SOC Seagull scout plane on board the during an Atlantic U-boat sweep near Panama in June 1942. Air-dropped depth bombs were normally set to explode at a shallow depth, while the submarine was crash-diving to escape attack. Aircraft were very successful in not only attacking U-boats, but also in disrupting U-boats from carrying out attacks against ships. Some were fitted with a searchlight as well as bombs.
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Agerholm tests an ASROC anti-submarine rocket armed with a nuclear depth bomb in 1962 On 11 May 1962, Agerholm participated in nuclear weapon testing in the Pacific in the "Swordfish" test, part of Operation Dominic. During this exercise the destroyer became the first surface ship to fire an antisubmarine nuclear weapon; the nuclear explosion occurring only about 4,000 yards from the ship. The submarine participated in the test, at the same distance as Agerholm. A video of this test is available from the Department of Energy.
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The four principal methods of delivering an acoustic homing torpedo or a Nuclear Depth Bomb at long range from a surface escort. Only the rocket-thrown weapons (ASROC and Ikara) are available for use in all-weather conditions and at instant readiness. The Cold War brought a new kind of conflict to submarine warfare. This war of development had both the United States and Soviet Union racing to develop better, stealthier and more potent submarines while consequently developing better and more accurate anti- submarine weapons and new delivery platforms, including the helicopter.
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The B90 was an American thermonuclear bomb designed in the mid-to-late 1980s and cancelled prior to introduction into military service due to the end of the Cold War making further nuclear weapon development unnecessary. The B90 design was intended for use as a naval aircraft weapon, for use as a nuclear depth bomb and as a land attack strike bomb. It was intended to replace the B57 nuclear bomb used by the Navy. The B90 bomb design entered Phase 3 development engineering and was assigned its numerical designation in June 1988.
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The final report explored the ways that oceanography influenced the ASW problem, noted that all Soviet submarine bases required long transits in shallow waters to operating areas, and recommended that active as well as passive sonar be explored for improved implementation. The Mark 45 nuclear torpedo was among the systems recommended for further development, as was "Stinger" (later SUBROC). The Mark 45 torpedo was the first USN submarine tactical nuclear weapon, entering service in 1959. SUBROC was a submarine- launched short-range ballistic missile that carried a nuclear depth bomb; it was deployed in 1965.
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Georgian Mi-14 ;V-14 :Prototype of the Mi-14 helicopter. ;Mi-14PL (NATO Haze-A) :Anti-submarine warfare helicopter, equipped with towed APM-60 MAD, OKA-2 sonobuoys and a retractable Type 12-M search radar, armed with a single AT-1 or APR-2 torpedo, one Skat nuclear depth bomb, eight depth charges.Mladenov Air International March 2001, pp. 187–188. A single Mi-14PL was used to carry out trials with the Kh-23 (NATO designation AS-7 Kerry) air- to-surface missile but this modification does not seem to have entered service.
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USS Agerholm (DD-826) launched an ASROC anti-submarine rocket, armed with a nuclear depth bomb, during the Swordfish Test of 1962 The high explosive in a depth charge undergoes a rapid chemical reaction at an approximate rate of . The gaseous products of that reaction momentarily occupy the volume previously occupied by the solid explosive, but at very high pressure. This pressure is the source of the damage and is proportional to the explosive density and the square of the detonation velocity. A depth charge gas bubble expands to reach the pressure of the surrounding water.
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There were 10 different models of this warhead produced for several different delivery systems. Beside the Mark 7 bomb, this included the BOAR air-to-surface rocket, the MGR-1 Honest John and MGM-5 Corporal tactical surface-to-surface missiles, the Betty Mark 90 depth bomb, the MIM-14 Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile and an atomic demolition munition. Configured as a Mark 7 gravity bomb and as the BOAR, the weapon was carried by the F-84 Thunderjet, F-100 Super Sabre and F-101 Voodoo fighter-bombers, and the B-57 Canberra bomber.
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A night battle then erupts between Omani gunboats and the U.S. Navy in the Strait of Hormuz, with an Omani gunboat firing first and disabling an American warship, then subsequently being destroyed. Despite the gravity of the situation, Tobin discusses his optimistic viewpoint of the situation with correspondent Eric Sevareid, believing that "[r]easonable people, once they've looked the Devil in the face, aren't going to shake hands with him." Shortly after the Omani gunboat exchanges fire with the American ship, a Soviet submarine slips through the perimeter of American ships and is tracked towards the Nimitz, which begins exploding depth charges towards the submarine. There is suddenly a large, underwater nuclear detonation, suggesting that a nuclear depth bomb was detonated to stop it.
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It was a target drone with remote control that was launched from the Ikara launcher for use in naval anti-aircraft target practice. The four principal methods of delivering an acoustic homing torpedo or a Nuclear Depth Bomb at long range from a surface escort. Only the rocket-thrown weapons (ASROC and Ikara) are available for use in all-weather conditions and at instant readiness. Ikara was powered by a two-stage in-line solid-fuel Murawa rocket engine developed by Bristol Aerojet Ltd in the UK and was guided by radio command link until it reached the vicinity of the submarine, determined by the ship's sonar contact, where it would first jettison the rear ventral fin and torpedo rear covering and then release its 12.7 inch Mark 44 or Mark 46 acoustically-guided anti-submarine torpedo.
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The new Sea Dart missile was fired from a twin-arm launcher on the quarterdeck and there was a pair of radar Type 909 target illumination sets, an improvement over the single radar Type 901 set of the County-class design. The single Mark 8 114 mm gun was not intended as an anti- aircraft weapon, and as such had an elevation of only 55°. The weapon was designed specifically for reliability over rate of fire, allowing only a single mounting to be shipped, and the comparatively low rate of fire of 25 rounds per minute was more than suitable for the intended anti-ship and shore- bombardment roles. The third weapon system was the Australian Ikara anti- submarine weapon; a rocket-powered aircraft capable of carrying a Mk.44 homing torpedo or nuclear depth bomb out to 10 miles from the ship.
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Following the production of the 600 lb depth bomb, a Mark III angular- velocity, low-level bombsight was developed. At the eighth meeting of the Anti-Submarine Committee, chaired by de la Ferté, on 16 December 1942 at H.Q. Coastal Command, they examined ORU reports of the results with the device. No. 59 Squadron RAF had been given the task of testing the sight and were operating the Liberator MkIII during the period that the results were gathered. AOC Wing Commander G.C.C Bartlett AFC & P/O H.R. Longmuir (Bomber Leader) presented the following report to the committee: > Thirty-four bombs were dropped by three aimers (P/O H.R. Longmuir, F/O G.W. > LaForme & F/O F.W.W. Cole) at a stationary target, and later on a target > towed at 8 knots [9.2mph]. For [a total of] forty-two bombs the average > range error was 18yd [yards].
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The UK-manufactured version of the Mark 44 torpedo also differed from the US-built version purchased by the Australians for their Ikara missiles. The British also required the missile payload to be changeable aboard ship to permit different payload combinations to be used, including a nuclear depth bomb (NDB) option, and this, together with the different internal ship layouts required further changes to the missile, storage and handling arrangements. The Australian practice was to combine the missile and payload at a shore-based ordnance facility and issuing the complete unit to a ship; repair or maintenance was only possible ashore. In the British ships, the changes made enabled a faulty torpedo on a missile in working order to be replaced, increasing the flexibility of use of very limited stocks aboard; especially on lengthy deployments around the globe, as was more common with British ships than their Australian counterparts.
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It has been reported that two years after the war, Labour MPs demanded an inquiryMargaret Thatcher Threatened to Use Nukes During Falkland Islands War News Max, 21 November 2005 into reports that a armed with the Polaris SLBMs had deployed to Ascension Island during the operation, ostensibly to prepare for a nuclear strike. The Ministry of Defence is reported to have denied the allegations, and Freedman's Official History does the same.Falklands: “The Sphinx and the curious case of the Iron Lady’s H-bomb” (memoirs of Mitterrand’s psychoanalyst), The Sunday Times, November 2005 In 1982, British warships were routinely armed with the WE.177, a tactical nuclear weapon with a variable yield of either 10 kilotons or 0.5 kiloton, which was used as a Nuclear Depth Bomb in an antisubmarine role. The Official History describes the contorted logistical arrangements that led to the removal of the nuclear depth bombs from the frigates, following political alarm in Whitehall.
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In February, 1985 a port visit request by the United States for Buchanan was refused by New Zealand, as Buchanan was capable of launching nuclear depth bomb-equipped ASROCs. Following the victory of the New Zealand Labour Party led by David Lange at elections in 1984, the Parliament of New Zealand enacted a law which barred nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships from using New Zealand ports, citing the dangers of nuclear weapons and continued nuclear testing in the South Pacific. Given that the United States Navy refused to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard ships, these laws in effect refused access to New Zealand ports for all ships of the United States Navy. After consultations with Australia and after negotiations with New Zealand broke down, the United States announced that it was suspending its ANZUS treaty obligations to New Zealand until United States Navy ships were readmitted to New Zealand ports, citing that New Zealand was "a friend, but not an ally".
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For his services in command of the Conyngham, Johnson was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal with citation as follows: > For exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as > Commanding Officer of the USS Conyngham engaged in the important, exacting > and hazardous duty of patrolling the waters infested with enemy submarines > and mines, in escorting and protecting vitally important convoys of troops > and supplies through these waters, and in offensive and defensive action, > vigorously and unremittingly prosecuted against all forms of enemy naval > activity; and especially for an attack upon an enemy submarine on October > 19, 1917, during which attack Conyngham was directly over the submarine and > dropped a depth bomb which is believed to have destroyed the submarine. Johnson fitted out and commanded the destroyer early in 1918. Upon his return to the United States later that year, he reported for duty as aide to the commandant, New York Navy Yard and Third Naval District. He served as commander, Air Force, Atlantic fleet, while simultaneously commanding Shawmut and later , in 1920 and 1921.
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