Hey guys, I researched it. From the Danforth site:
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American Inventor, Richard Danforth, created our lightweight, versatile, and high-efficiency fluke-style anchor in 1939 for use aboard World War II landing craft. “Every Ounce Must Count”, as described in the June 1943 edition of Motor Boating, has remained a staple in our design and high quality production of the world’s most trusted anchor. To this day, our historic anchor continues making history at times when trust matters most.
From coastalboating.net:
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In the 1940s Richard Danforth redesigned the fluke ship’s anchor to have wide sharp triangular flukes and a stock at the crown for use on sea planes and military landing craft, which had been using the more cumbersome Northill anchor prior to that. Much lighter than the stockless fluke, his steel Danforth anchor has a high holding-to-weight ratio and soon found its way into the pleasure boat market. At about the same time the Brittany anchor was introduced in Europe. It too is a derivation of the ship’s anchor. It has wide, flat, and pointy flukes, and has no stock, though some newer versions do. Lighter versions of the Danforth followed and today the aluminium Fortress anchor is one of the more popular brands. This is a very good anchor for muddy bottoms.
There we go.
FWIW - my main anchor is now a 30kg Bruce (ugly, but has never drug), backup on a rail hangar a 35# Hi-tensile Danforth, and have in standby storage an unwieldy 60# Hi-tensile Danforth for hurricanes.
Jim
42'+ Present SDMY
Washington, NC