The Royal Navy had explored a forward-thrown anti-submarine weapon before Hedgehog entered service in 1942. The difficulty was not merely devising the launcher: its sensors and munitions had to withstand the shock of firing and hitting the water, then function reliably. A test system was tried aboard the V and W-class destroyer HMS Whitehall in 1941 before service introduction. Hedgehog emerged from several years of development rather than as an instant wartime solution.
Notable Point · 28:37-29:44
Why Hedgehog took time to reach service
The development of Hedgehog shows that an anti-submarine weapon had to survive launch and impact as well as work in theory.