"Hedgehog" or some kind of demolition charge at DDay

Hi

I have been speaking to my dad about my uncle George Baudrey. He was in the 1st Suffolks at D-Day (see my other thread)

He told me a story that when my uncle landed he and a mate were carrying some kind of shaped charge that you put on top of a pill box and it blew through the roof, he called it ahedgehog as far as my dad remembers. Has anybody got any idea what that may have been?

Thanks for your help!

Andy

 

From memory there were Beehives and General Wades; the latter were linear cutting charges.

Hedgehogs were the beach obstacles made from six bits of angle iron.

 

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/weapons-technology-equipment/17091-petard-mortar-5.html

Some discussion on the above thread re General Wade and Beehive - 'Sapper' remembers carrying Beehive charges. I don't know but I think the Wade was carried in a satchel by the 6th member of the crew who was detailed to exit the side door of the Churchill and place it against a concrete obstacle. I think beehives were carried by the field companies? Not sure if they were specialist RE weapons or issued to infantry?

 

Beehive is still in use today. It's a rapid cratering kit using the Monroe effect.

 

Wasn't hedgehog an anti-uboat thing

Which begat Hedgerow to add to the confusion:

The LCA(HR) ('Hedgerow') was another support weapon variant. The troop well was filled by a Hedgehog spigot mortar weapon. The additional weight of this weapon and the force it placed on the craft when fired required strengthening of the well floor.[26] This was the same Hedgehog used in anti-submarine warfare - it fired 24 bombs arranged in four rows of six, each bomb containing about 30 lb (14 kg) of explosive.[18] When fired successfully the bomb pattern was a 100 yard circle about 250 yards forward. The bombs would clear paths through mines and wire on the beach.[26][27] Using this principle of ‘counter-mining’ - the explosions from mortar rounds setting off the mines both above and below the water’s edge, proved very successful.[18] They were used at Salerno[28] and Normandy.

 

I would agree that there was no charge named Hedgehog/row
but there was (and still is, it seems) a charge called Hayrick. this link shows a modern version and also shows [in the page heading] a beehive charge without it's legs.
Noel

 

According to Trux' page on 21 AG RE, General Wade charges were indeed standard equipment aboard 79th Armd Div AVREs.

 

Here's the wartime Hayrick.

 

The Hagensen manpack demolition charge? US issue - but it is recorded that some British units used it too. One use - the destruction of 'Hedgehogs'






CTF 122 Report of Naval Combat Demolition Units at Normandy



Hagensen Pack is recommended for use in all future operations where obstacles at all similar to those in NEPTUNE are to be attacked with hand-placed charges. It has received universal endorsement from Naval and Army Demolition Officers.

 

Thank yo uso much for your replies, when I told dad about a beehive that seemed to spark a memory! My uncle was in the intelligence section of battalion HQ so I think he may have been ordered to take it ashore to help out the RE nut unfortunately will never know! Apparently though as they were carrying this on the beach they attracted some fire so dropped it and moved on to their battalion double quick!

 

Stock Footage - An AP is fired from British 3 and 6 pdr anti tank gun to break a concrete wall in Great Britain during World War II.



Also 6 1/2 lb Beehive charge (film)

 

According to Trux' page on 21 AG RE, General Wade charges were indeed standard equipment aboard 79th Armd Div AVREs.

And as I've said elsewhere, according to veteran assault engineers, the sense of relief when the gentleman in possession of said charge departed the vehicle was palpable.

 

Apologies. I am always a bit slow to respond.

A form of Hedgehog was used on D Day. On Sword each of the LCTs carrying specialist armour towed a LCA(H). H for Hedgerow, which was adapted from the naval Hedgehog. Each of the LCA(H) mounted 24 of the spigot mortar projectiles which were to be fired ahead of the specialist armour to clear obstacles, mines and wire. A good idea but some were lost on the crossing, some were too late, some fired and broke their backs. There were no mines on the beach anyway.

There were also two types of Beehive. Each of the battalions of assault brigades had Assault Demolition Teams under command. These had trained with the infantry. Each team had
NCO
Beehive team of two men each carrying half of a 75lb Beehive on a Yukon Pack.
Beehive man with a light (40lb) Beehive.
Flame thrower man.

The Beehive was a shaped charge which would blow a hole through the roof of concrete positions and 'incapacitate' the occupants. At the least it would give them a bad headache.

In the Suffolks one team landed with battalion headquarters so intelligence personnel could have been asked to help carry Beehives. Carrying them of LCIs in rough seas would have been difficult.

Mike