Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:24:13-2:26:14

Who invented ASDIC?

ASDIC emerged from British wartime committee research led technically by Robert William Boyle and A. B. Wood.

Anti-Submarine WarfareAsdicNaval ResearchSonarWorld War I
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Question

Who invented ASDIC, the British precursor term for sonar?

Short answer

It was a committee-backed World War I development, with Robert William Boyle and A. B. Wood taking leading technical roles.

Notes

Active submarine detection emerged from the Board of Invention and Research and the Admiralty's anti-submarine organization. Robert William Boyle and A. B. Wood were leading contributors. The familiar expansion 'Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee' is treated as a later official explanation rather than the name of an archival committee.