Guiraud depth charge

Port Guiraud 100kg depth charge launched off Vautour

Description

Guiraud depth charge is a French anti-submarine depth charge used on some of the French destroyers. It's the largest domestic depth charge used by French bluewater vessels.

Originally introduced to the French navy in 1922, Guiraud depth charged had their roots in WW1, and could be found in various sizes, from 40 to 200 kg. 100kg Guiraud depth charge Mle 1922 could be launched from the Depth Charge thrower Mle 1928 at the range of up to 250 meters, and Mortarman could train the weapon to accurately bomb submarines without manoeuvring the vessel.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Vauquelin
• Vautour

General info

Guiraud depth charge has characteristic typical to the depth charge throwers of other nations, such as the British Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge. Comparatively speaking, it has a short range, but retains a good explosive filler.

Effective damage

100 kg explosive is enough to cripple or outright destroy any destroyer or coastal vessel, but the difficulty to landing the charge on target makes it effectively a non-factor.

Comparison with analogues

Guiraud has a large explosive filler, and one of the highest explosive-mass-to-total-mass ratios among the depth charges.

Name	Country of origin	Mass (kg)	Explosive type	Explosive mass (kg)	TNT equivalent (kg)
7.2 in T37		29	Torpex	15.9	25.44
B TG		63	TNT	50	50
B TG 100		126	TNT	100	100
BAS		160	Torpex	70	112
BB-1		165	TNT	130	130
BM-1		45	TNT	25	25
Guiraud		176	TNT	130	130
K-gun Mk.9		190	TNT	136	136
Limbo mortar		177	Minol	94	108.1
Mk.6		190	TNT	136	136
Mk.6 mortar		190	TNT	136	136
Mk.9		190	TNT	136	136
Mk.10 Hedgehog mortar		29	Torpex	15.9	25.44
Mk.VII		196	TNT	130	130
RBM mortar		160	Amatol	70.8	70.8
Type 3		50	Type 88	20	26
Type 95		160	Amatol	100	100
WBD		196	Amatol	130	130
WBF		139	Amatol	60	60
WBG		160	Amatol	100	100
Y-gun Mk.VII		196	TNT	130	130

Usage in battles

Guiraud is extremely situational, as its short range and a lack of aiming tools make it usable against enemy vessels only at the ramming range.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Large explosive filler

Cons:

• Short range at which charge is ejected makes it possible to damage your own vessel
• No user interface elements assisting in aiming the mortar, regardless of the game mode

History

100kg Guiraud depth charge Mle 1922 were introduced four years after the end of the Great War, with the introduction of the then-new contre-torpilleurs. The 100 kg designation came from the TNT mass of the explosive filler used, while the total mass of the depth charge was 176 kg (8 kg fuse+primer, 24 kg casing, 46 kg arbor).

Initially they were paired with British Thornycroft Mk IV (Mle 1918) depth charge throwers, which were replaced by 100/250 mm depth charge throwers Mle 1928 with the introduction of the Jaguar-class. The new throwers were lighter, and allowed charge to be ejected on a range of up to 250 meters. But they suffered from reliability and robustness compared to the older Thornycroft design.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge (another depth charge thrower widely used on French bluewater vessels)

External links

• French Destroyers: Torpilleurs D'escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs, 1922-1956 by John Jordan and Jean Moulin (page 231, 232, 233)