WW1 British anti submarine LANCE BOMB

[MINENAZ16]

Hello,
I saw this today. It's the first time I heard about this ww1 anti submarine bomb.
Does anyone could post more informations and technical datas on this device ?
Regards




IWM : https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30020500

 

[Listy]

Hello, I saw this today. It's the first time I heard about this ww1 anti submarine bomb. Does anyone could post more informations and technical datas on this device ? Regards View attachment 171193 IWM : https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30020500 View attachment 171191View attachment 171192

My god... Just when you think you've seen all the crazy stuff. Wild assed stab in the dark: It's a weapon for merchants? There were a few encounters between merchants and U-boats, which occasionally ended up with the U-boat getting rammed (much to the disgust of the Germans who thought it was cheating). Meanwhile a warship would have it's guns if the U-boat was within visual range of the surface, and depth charges if not. Of course that's all speculation... and I really want to know more now.

 

[Snufkin]

The lance bomb was designed by Marten Hale - of No.3 rifle grenade, and 10lb and 20lb aerial bomb, fame. His Cotton Powder Company received an order for 1,000 of the 7-pr Harpoon bombs in February 1915, at £4 each (contract value £4,000).

It was introduced in WOLC paragraph 17379 of March 1915; "The bomb consists of a steel plate body with an ogival head... The wood stave is 39 inches long... The bomb is painted yellow, and has a red ring painted round the head, and a green band round the body, the former denoting that it is filled and the latter the explosive used. The bombs and detonators are issued separately, four of each being packed in a wood box. The staves are issued in bundles of ten."

It was issued to Royal Navy Reserve drifters for harpooning of U-boats caught in their barrage nets. Robert George Hurren, RNR, skipper of the Lowestoft-based drifter "Gleaner of the Sea" was awarded the DSC in July 1916 for "Distinguished conduct which led to destruction of an enemy submarine boat" - he used lance bombs to damage either the UB13 or UC1.

The attached image is of Marten Hale demonstrating the ease with which his harpoon bomb could be deployed...

 

[TimG]

I'm surprised they were only issued to RNR drifters. The articles of war at the time required a submarine to surface and hoist its flag prior to taking any action against a merchantmen. This brought about the introduction of "Q ships" by the Royal Navy. These were merchantmen crewed by the Royal Navy and generally had a deck gun hidden under what appeared to be deck cargo. As soon as a submarine surfaced they would engage it. It would prove to be very effective, so much so, the opposition resorted to abandoning the convention and use torpedoes.

TimG

 

[Snufkin]

Tim, lance bombs were supplied to vessels other than drifters. Various of the mine sweeping and armed trawlers, armed yachts and motor launches that made up the Auxiliary Patrol had a store of lance bombs; it is just that the only recorded action resulting in the alleged sinking of an enemy submarine was the aforementioned one carried out by the drifter, Gleaner of the Sea.

The attached two images, courtesy IWM, are both captioned (with the usual caveat for IWM captioning): "Throwing a lance bomb from a Royal Navy drifter".



Tom.