Mk.6 depth charge
![](/images/thumb/f/f4/Mk.6_depth_charge.png/445px-Mk.6_depth_charge.png)
Contents
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 | ![]() |
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.10 Hedgehog mortar | ![]() |
29 | Torpex | 15.9 | 25.44 |
Mk.4 | ![]() |
160 | Minol | 94 | 108.1 |
Mk.6 | ![]() |
190 | TNT | 136 | 136 |
Mk.6 mortar | ![]() |
190 | TNT | 136 | 136 |
Mk.9 | ![]() |
190 | TNT | 136 | 136 |
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
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
- [NavWeaps] United States of America ASW Weapons
- [San Francisco Maritime National Park Association] Depth Charges, Mark 6, Mark 6 Mod. 1, Mark 7, Mark 7, Mod. 1, OP 747, 1943
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) |