The Squid was a ship-mounted anti-submarine mortar developed by the Royal Navy during World War II. The Squid design was a three-barreled 12-inch (305 mm) mortar, with each barrel off-set to scatter the projectiles. The barrels were mounted in a frame that could be rotated through 90 degrees for loading. It was placed into service in May 1943, eventually being fitted on approximately 70 frigates and corvettes. The first successful use was by HMS Loch Killin on July 31, 1944, when she sank U333. The Squid was credited with sinking 17 submarines in 50 attacks and replaced the Hedgehog system. Post-war the system was replaced with the Limbo mortar, but was used up until 1982 when the Swedish Östergötland-class destroyers were decommissioned.
The Squid is one of the latest additions to Black Cat Models line of 3D printed Royal Navy accessories. The set provides parts to build two mortars, consisting of the base and the mortars. Each part is very detailed with everything present, so there is no need to add any photo-etch. The parts are printed on a runner and sitting on very thin attachment points for easy removal. A single-page assembly guide in PDF format is available online from the Black Cat Models website.
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