On the foredeck are the anchor winches. Powered by steam from the ship’s boilers, these winches were used to raise the ship’s anchors and to haul cables with the end drums. As the anchor chain was hauled in, it was fed through the deck and stored in the chain locker 2 decks below. When raised, the anchor chains were secured by other chains to hold the anchors in their beds and take the load off the winches.
Each anchor weighed about 1.5 t (30 hundredweight) and it is thought that Diamantina may have carried about 322 m (1 050 feet) of anchor chain, in various lengths, in total. She also carried a kedge anchor, weighing 356 kg (7 cwt).
Behind the breakwater (low raised wall) was the location of the Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar. This weapon consisted of a launcher for 24 mortars (6 rows x 4). The launcher threw the mortars in a circular pattern approximately 37 m (40 yards) in diameter about 193 m (230 yards) ahead of the ship. The mortars were fired in pairs in quick succession. Unlike depth charges, the mortars had contact fuses, so there was no explosion unless the submarine was hit.
Projectiles had a diameter of 180 mm (7”) and weighed 29.5 kg (65 lbs) with an explosive charge of 16 kg (35 lbs) of Torpex.