Submarine Chasers

warships designed to search and destroy enemy submarines, to protect surface ships, and to patrol antisubmarine lines.

Submarine chasers were the forerunners of the modern antisubmarine ships. In some Western European navies they were called antisubmarine defense ships. Submarine chasers appeared in World War I (1914–18) and became very widespread in World War II (1939–45). There are small antisubmarine chasers, with a water displacement of up to 100 tons, which are employed in coastal waters. Larger ones have a water displacement of up to 600 tons and are employed in distant seas and oceans. Submarine chasers are armed with subaqueous sound ranging devices, depth charges, and from two to six antiaircraft guns or several large-caliber machine guns. Their speed ranges from 12 to 22 knots (22–41 km per hour).