hedgehogs

[GDFTigerTank]

Originally Posted by Decoman

I swear that I have seen hedgehogs on a British destroyer in 1939, the item looks exactly like picture on wikipedia. Probably too early to introduce them in 1939.

I know what you're talking about. From the front it looks like a hedgehog launcher, but actually, it's the 1st anti-aircraft rocket battery which fired 20 x 2" rockets against low level bombing and torpedo attacks. It was designed to launch a swarm of projectiles that fly out from the ship and detonate for shrapnel damage - they didn't home in on a target.

Wikipedia:
"During the 1930s solid fuel rockets were under development in the Soviet Union and Britain. In Britain the interest was for anti-aircraft fire, it quickly became clear that guidance would be required for precision. However, rockets, or 'un-rotated projectiles' as they were called could the used for anti-aircraft barrages. A 2-inch rocket using HE or wire obstacle warheads was introduced first to deal with low-level or dive bombing attacks on smaller targets such as airfields. The 3-inch was in development at the end of the inter-war period..."

Pic of the UP AA Rocket Mount on the KG V@
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_UP.htm

And no they weren't just put on battleships.