Mousetrap (anti-Submarine Projector, Marks 20 and 22) was an
anti-submarine rocket launcher used mainly during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
and
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
. Its development began in 1941 as a replacement for
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. The ...
anti-submarine mortar. Those were
spigot-launched, which placed considerable strain on the launching vessel's
deck, whereas Mousetrap was rocket-propelled. As a result, Mousetrap's four or eight rails for rockets saved weight and were easier to install.
The rockets weighed each, with a
Torpex warhead
A warhead is the section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket (weapon), rocket, torpedo, or bomb.
Classification
Types of warheads include:
*E ...
and
contact pistol, exactly like Hedgehog.
By the end of the war, over 100 Mark 22 Mousetraps were mounted in U.S. Navy ships, including three each on 12
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s,
and
submarine chasers (usually two sets of rails).
Statistics
* Round weight:
* Warhead:
* Range: about
* Firing speed: one round every 3 seconds (maximum)
* No. of rails:
** Mark 20: 4
** Mark 22: 8
Citations
Bibliography
*
External links
ASW Weapons of the United States of Americaat NavWeaps
at NavWeaps
{{U.S. WW2 rockets
Anti-submarine missiles of the United States
Explosive weapons
Military equipment introduced from 1940 to 1944
Naval weapons of the United States
World War II naval weapons
World War II weapons of the United States
Anti-submarine rockets