Mk.6 depth charge

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The Mk.6 depth charge on the Higgins 81 ft PT-6.

Description

The Mk.6 depth charge is a US depth charge widely used on American coastal vessels, but also post-WW2 German and Japanese. Each charge has a mass of 190 kg, and is filled with 136 kg TNT explosive filler (300 lb). These depth charges are either dropped behind the vessel, or ejected with a use of depth charge throwers (which is different from Mk.6 mortar depth charge, which has a much larger ejection force, but otherwise is identical).

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

Vehicles equipped with this weapon
Motor torpedo boats  PT-3 · PT-6 · PT-103 · PT-658 · PT-810
Motor torpedo gun boats  USS Candid
Gunboats  Akebono
Sub-chasers  Carmi (PC-466) · PC-451 · SC-497
Frigates  USS Hoquiam · USS Dealey
  Köln · Lübeck

General info

Typically for other depth charges, Mk.6 can have its activation time adjusted between 3 and 10 seconds, with 4 seconds being the default. If launched from a mortar, the charge will not explode on contact with an enemy vessel, but either land on it or bounce off it, depending on the impact angle.

Effective damage

Owning it to a large explosive filler, and the explosion below the water surface, even a single Mk.6 will typically sink all the coastal vessels that are caught in the explosion radius, and either cripple or outright kill destroyers. Heavier vessels might require multiple depth charges, but everything short of battleship is sinkable with the use of these charges.

Comparison with analogues

Compared to its peers, Mk.6 has one of the largest explosive fillers and heaviest masses. Also, quite unusually compared to its peers, it's available in both: mortar fitting and dropped off the stern.

Name Country
of origin
Mass (kg) Explosive
type
Explosive mass
(kg)
TNT equivalent
(kg)
7.2 in T37 USA flag.png 29 Torpex 15.9 25.44
B TG Italy flag.png 63 TNT 50 50
B TG 100 Italy flag.png 126 TNT 100 100
BAS Italy flag.png 160 Torpex 70 112
BB-1 USSR flag.png 165 TNT 130 130
BM-1 USSR flag.png 45 TNT 25 25
Guiraud France flag.png 176 TNT 130 130
K-gun Mk.9 USA flag.png 190 TNT 136 136
Limbo mortar Britain flag.png 177 Minol 94 108.1
Mk.10 Hedgehog mortar Britain flag.png 29 Torpex 15.9 25.44
Mk.4 USA flag.png 160 Minol 94 108.1
Mk.6 USA flag.png 190 TNT 136 136
Mk.6 mortar USA flag.png 190 TNT 136 136
Mk.9 USA flag.png 190 TNT 136 136
Mk.VII Britain flag.png 196 TNT 130 130
RBM mortar USSR flag.png 160 Amatol 70.8 70.8
Type 3 Japan flag.png 50 Type 88 20 26
Type 95 Japan flag.png 160 Amatol 100 100
WBD Germany flag.png 196 Amatol 130 130
WBF Germany flag.png 139 Amatol 60 60
WBG Germany flag.png 160 Amatol 100 100
Y-gun Mk.VII Britain flag.png 196 TNT 130 130

Usage in battles

The Mk.6 depth charges are most affective against submarines or smaller boats. Since there are no submarines however, most players tend to not use depth charges at all.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Can potentially destroy enemies sailing behind you

Cons:

  • Can explode when hit
  • Ineffective at fights with more than 100 meters distance
  • Currently there are no submarines in War Thunder which the weapon would be most useful against

History

Mark 6 depth charge entered service in 1938 and used a new manufacturing techniques to reduces the costs, compared to its predecessors. It was the most-produced American depth charge of the World War Two.

It was sinking at 2.4 meters per second, and used hydrostatic fuze which could be set between 15 and 91 meters depth (a delay of 6.25 - 40 seconds).

Depth charge could be dropped astern or with the use of Projector Mark 6, also known as K-gun, which was introduced in 1941 and used a black powder propellant to launch depth charges at 55 to 137 meters away from the vessel, allowing to drop more charges simultaneously.

Media

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

See also

External links


Naval depth charges
USA  Mk.6 · Mk.6 mortar · K-gun Mk.9
Germany  WBD · WBF · WBG
Foreign:  BB-1 (USSR) · Mk.6 (USA) · Type 95 (Japan)
USSR  BB-1 · BM-1 · MBU-600 mortar · RBM mortar
Britain  Limbo mortar · Mk.10 Hedgehog mortar · Mk.VII · Y-gun Mk.VII
Foreign:  Mk.6 mortar (USA)
Japan  Type 3 · Type 95
Foreign:  Mk.6 mortar (USA) · Mk.9 (USA) · Mk.10 Hedgehog (Britain)
Italy  B TG · B TG 100 · BAS · Mk.4
Foreign:  WBG (Germany) · Mk.10 Hedgehog (Britain)
France  Guiraud
Foreign:  Mk.VII (Britain) · Y-gun Mk.VII (Britain)