Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:09:53-4:10:28

Why anti-submarine escorts still needed deck guns

Escort guns provided a surface weapon against submarines and German fast attack craft even when depth weapons were the primary ASW armament.

Anti-Submarine WarfareConvoy EscortDeck GunsFlower Class CorvettesS BoatsU-Boats
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

Were any escorts designed with only Hedgehog or Squid and light anti-aircraft weapons, without a deck gun?

Short answer

No; escorts still needed a gun for surfaced submarines and encounters with torpedo boats such as German Schnellboote.

Notes

A surfaced submarine could force an escort into a gun action, and a design armed only with Hedgehog or Squid would be unable to answer effectively. Flower-class corvettes also encountered German Schnellboote in the Channel, where a deck gun and lighter weapons had uses wholly separate from attacking a submerged contact. The mixed threat explains why specialised anti-submarine ships retained conventional surface armament.