From Walker RN Page 1: The truth behind the invention known as the HEDGEHOG.  An uninformed American source, highlighted on page 1, claims it for themselves. But, in the spirit of fair play, I print the real story here:

Magpie's Hedgehog - covered in ice whilst on Arctic Duty

Quote: "The inherent fault of both ASDIC and sonar in 1939 was that the narrow beam generated by the transducer could not be directed downwards. As a result the escort lost contact with a target during the last few minutes of an attack, depth charges had to be dropped by guess work.  To cure this problem the Admiralty Miscellaneous Department started work on a new weapon which could project a charge forwards, in other words, one which could be aimed while the target was still in the beam. The project started in December 1940 and the weapon, codenamed "HEDGEHOG" was ready for testing in the fall (autumn) of 1941. It comprised 6 rows of 4 spigots or heavy steel rods on which rested bombs with the propellant housed in a hollow tail.  As the gases ignited in the tailpipe they thrust the projectile forward off the spigot. Because the recoil was mostly absorbed in resetting the springs on the spigot, the whole weapon was light and could be mounted on a small ships deck without much alteration.  The destroyer HMS Westcott took the first operational Hedgehog in January 1942 and this was the destroyer that claimed the first kill with the Hedgehog, on February 2nd 1942. (Apparently, incorrect, as the Westcott used depth charges then ramming, unless these depth charges were 'hedgehog itself? Thanks to Alan Chitty for that tidbit) The United States was given details immediately and produced its own version. For small escorts such as PCE's a four bomb and 8 bomb version called "Mousetrap" was developed.  The principal was also adapted by the British as a means of clearing invasion beach obstacles and was named "Hedgerow".

Thanks again to Ray Holden for finding this in a book. The book is "WW2 A Visual Encyclopedia". Editor John Keegan. Published by Parkgate Books. John Keegan was born in London in 1934. Educated Kings College Taunton, Wimbledon College and Balliol College, Oxford. He was Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.  A man, you might say, who knows his bullets from his baguettes!

May 20th 2005 and I received an email from Lt Cdr Bruce Gibbons in Canada who passed on an internet address to me. It details the life of the Hedgehog Inventor Sir Charles Goodeve 1904 - 1980. This is Sir Charles' picture taken from his sons site. http://jwgibbs.cchem.berkeley.edu/CFGoodeve/index.html.

3 October 2005. I received the following email today. I am the son of Captain I.H. Bockett-Pugh, who commanded HMS Westcott during some of the second World War. I've just seen your page on the web. He told me a story once, of the testing of the Hedgehog. He (I think he said it was him, but it could have been another) was in Gibraltar, to test this device, when an enemy plane flew over to reconnoitre. My dad had no anti-aircraft weapon, so he fired the Hedgehog, and the plane flew away. I understood that this was the first use of the Hedgehog against the enemy. Charles.

Its is quite possible the HMS Westcott recorded the first "death" of a U Boat by hedgehog in that she sank U581. See this site for details: http://www.uboat.net/boats/u581.htm

Hedgehog History

Mermaid 

Two images of Starling in 1947

HMS Stork 1940