Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Depth Charge |
Depth ChargeNoun1. A bomb that explodes at a pre-set depth under water; anti-submarine device. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Synonym: Depth ChargeSynonym: depth bomb (n). (additional references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The first effective depth charge, the "Type D," developed in 1916, was a 300-pound (140 kg) barrel-like casing containing a high explosive, usually TNT. A "pistol" actuated by water pressure at a pre-selected depth detonated the charge. The "Type D" could be detonated as deep as 300 feet (100 meters).
The first delivery mechanism was to simply roll the "barrels" off racks at the stern of the attacking vessel. Later, special depth-charge projectors or "K-guns" were developed, which used an explosive propellant charge to hurl charges about 150 feet (50 meters) to the sides of the attacker. K-guns were often used together with stern racks to create patterns of six to ten charges. The attacking ship needed to be moving above a certain speed or it would be damaged by its own weapons.
In 1943, Torpex, an explosive 50% more powerful than TNT, was introduced along with a more streamlined depth charge casing that sank faster.
Although the explosions of the standard 600-pound depth charge used in World War II were nerve-wracking to the target, an undamaged U-boat's pressure hull would not rupture unless the charge detonated closer than about five meters. Placing the weapon within this range was entirely a matter of chance and quite unlikely as the target maneuvered evasively during the attack. Most U-boats sunk by depth charges were destroyed by damage accumulated from a long barrage rather than by a single carefully-aimed attack. Many survived hundreds of depth charge detonations over a period of many hours; 678 depth charges were dropped onto U-427 in April, 1945. The U-boat survived.
More effective anti-submarine weapons included the Hedgehog forward-throwing charges and the "Fido" Mk.24 acoustic torpedo.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Depth charge."
Crosswords: Depth Charge |
| Specialty definitions using "depth charge": crater cuts, crater theory ♦ oil-well-sounding-device operator ♦ SERVICE-UNIT OPERATOR, OIL WELL, shot depth, shot firer, shot lighter, shothole bridge ♦ TRACER-BULLET-CHARGING-MACHINE OPERATOR ♦ wellhole blasting. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Movie/TV Titles | Depth Charge (1960) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | A direct stern view taken off the Lake Washington Shipyards, Houghton, Washington, on 29 November 1944. Note the twin depth charge racks on the fantail. The ship was commissioned four days later.Credit: NAVY. |  | Moored together off San Diego, California, circa 1935. This view shows the ships' sterns, with propeller guards, depth charge racks and small craft visible.Credit: NAVY. |
 | Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 28 February 1945. Her torpedo tubes are trained out on both sides of the ship. Note depth charge tracks on her stern, with her name faintly visible below them.Credit: NAVY. |  | Close-up view of the ship's port quarter, taken at the Hunter's Point Navy Yard, San Francisco, California, following overhaul and battle damage repairs, 2 April 1945. Circles mark recent alterations to the ship. Note Killen's propeller guard, depth charge racks and "teardrop" depth charges. Ships in the background are USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) and USS Hughes (DD-410).Credit: NAVY. |
 | At the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 24 October 1942, at the end of her last overhaul. Circles mark recent alterations to the ship. Note the depth charge racks and smoke tanks on Walke's stern, her after 5"/38 gun mounts, and busses in the distance.Credit: NAVY. |  | Steaming astern of USS Philippine Sea (CVA-47), off San Diego, California, 3 March 1954. Note her anti-submarine armament aft: a single depth charge rack on her stern with K-Gun depth charge throwers at the deck sides forward of the after 5"/38 gun mount.Credit: NAVY. |
 | In port, circa early 1942. Note her pattern camouflage, depth charge racks on her stern and gravity davits amidships.Credit: NAVY. |  | Wearing the Medal of Honor he received in recognition of his heroism in securing a depth charge that had come adrift on board USS Remlik (SP-157) during a heavy gale on 17 December 1917.Credit: NAVY. |
 | Halftone photo from Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy, page 120. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism when he secured a depth charge that had come adrift on board USS Remlik (SP-157) during a heavy gale on 17 December 1917.Credit: NAVY. |  | Secures a depth charge that came adrift on the after deck of USS Remlik (SP-157) during a violent storm in the Bay of Biscay, 17 December 1917. He received the Medal of Honor for his heroism on this occasion. Painting by James H. Daugherty, circa 1918.Credit: NAVY. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
depth charge | 35 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "depth charge"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | bie bombë thellësie (depth bomb). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | подводна бомба (can, depth bomb). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | hloubková nálož. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | dybvandsbombe (depthcharge), dybdebombe (depthcharge). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | diepzeebom (depthcharge), dieptebom (depthcharge). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | grenade sous-marine (depthcharge), grenade sous marine (depthcharge). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | wasserbombe (depthcharge, water balloon, water bomb). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | βόμβα βυθού, ανθυποβρυχιακή βόμβα (depthcharge). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | mélyvízi bomba (depth bomb, depth-bomb, depth-charge, diving torpedo). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | bomba di profondit (depthcharge), bomba antisommergibile. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 爆雷 . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ばくらい. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | bleaystan marrey. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | epthday argechay granada submarina (depthcharge), carga de profundidade, bomba de profundidade (depth bomb). (various references) глубинная бомба (a. s. bomb, anti-submarine bomb, depth bomb, depth-bomb). (various references) dubinska bomba (depth bomb). (various references) carga de profundidad (depthcharge). (various references) sjunkbomb (depth bomb, depth-charge). (various references) sualtı bombası (depth bomb). (various references) глибинна бомба (ash can, depth bomb). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-d-e-e-g-h-h-p-r-t" | |
-2 letters: chaptered, repatched. | |
-3 letters: carpeted, detacher, gathered, heptarch, pargeted, preached, preacted, threaped. | |
-4 letters: adepter, capered, catered, cerated, chapter, charged, charted, cheaper, cheated, cheater, cheetah, created, earthed, ephedra, graphed, hatched, hatcher, hearted, heather, hectare, parched, patched, patcher, peached, peacher, perched, preaged, predate, preheat, reached, reacted, recheat, repatch, retaped, retched, reteach, tapered, teacher. | |
-5 letters: adhere, aether, agreed. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-d-e-e-g-h-h-p-r-t" | |
+1 letter: hectographed. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)44 65 70 74 68 43 68 61 72 67 65 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01000100 01100101 01110000 01110100 01101000 00100000 01000011 01101000 01100001 01110010 01100111 01100101 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)D e p t h   C h a r g e |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0044 0065 0070 0074 0068 0043 0068 0061 0072 0067 0065 |
Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)38718286742377467847371 |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Expressions: Internet 8. Translations: Modern | 9. Anagrams 10. Orthography 11. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
