(Fig. 1)

The mine, containing steel balls and a bursting charge of H.E., is operated by a contact pressure fuze or by pull-igniters with trip-wires and is projected about 4 feet from the ground where it functions. The radius of the aera over which the bullets are dispersed extends up to about 200 yards. The igniter S.Mi.Z. 35 is described in this pamphlet. The use of an electrical igniter, E.S.Mi.Z. 40, has also been reported.

The cylindrical exterior, painted the normal deep olive green, is 4 inches in diameter and 5.2 inches high with a closing plate at the top. The plate has a protruding screwed cap of plastic at the centre and carries three small equally spaced screw plugs and one larger screw plug. The overall height is 6 inches and the filled weight, 9 lb. 7 oz.

The body which is sliding fit in the mortar and contains the steel balls and an H.E. bursting charge.

The mortar is in the form of a cylinder, open at the top, and is pressed from mild steel of 0.079 inch thickness. A light metal ring which overlaps the top plate is soldered around the exterior at the mouth.

The body consists of an outer and an inner seamless cylinder of mild steel which are held at the tops and bottom between the machined circular cast iron top plate and base plate. The plates are secured by a central tube of mild steel which passes through their centres and is fitted with a nut which bears on the upper surface of the top plate and a flanged adapter which screws into the tube at its lower end and bears against the lower plate. The top plate is 0.39 inch thick and has what appears to be a filling hole for a cast bursting charge and three holes for the insertion of the detonators. The three holes are closed by screwed plugs, the plug for the filling hole being larger the the other. Three brass tubes, forming detonator pockets, are fitted between the holes in the top plate and delay holders screwed into similar holes in the base plate. These holes lead into a circular recess in the underside of the base plate which contains the ejection charge. The adapter at the lower end of the central tube also leads into this recess at the  cen-tre and has a delay holder screwed into it from the top. The recess is closed at the base by a lead disc which may be float or concave. The disc is held by a retaining ring of mild steel secured by screws.

The steel balls contained between the inner and outer cylinders number approximately 350 and of high carbon steel containing some chromium and nickel. The balls are about 0.35 inch in diameter and weigh about 129 to the pound. The V.D. Hardness figure at the surface averages 830. A packing of cordage is inserted between the top of the balls and the top plate.

The T.N.T. bursting charge weighs appoximately 7 oz. 13 drs. and is in the form of a block filling consisting of a cylinder of suitable size for insertion in the body. The wall of the cylinder is 0.24 inch thick and the inside contains a core of bituminous composition in which there are three smaller cylinders of T.N.T. to form surrounds for the detonator tu-bes also an axial channel to fit over the central tube. The exterior of each T.N.T. cylin-der is waxed and the whole is contained in a waxed paper carton. The total weight is 1 lb. 0 oz. 4 dr. The delay holders are of brass and contain a pressed filling of delay com-position. The ejection charge in the recessed base plate consists of approximately 45 grains of gunpowder. The weight of the body (excluding the mortar) filled and fuzed is approximately 7 lb. 13 oz. Oil is used as a lubricant between the interior of the mortar and the exterior of the body.

The mine is prepared for use by inserting a No. 8 detonator, open end down-wards, into each of the detonator tubes, removing the plastic cap and subsituting the fuze S.Mi.Z. 35. When trip action is required, a Y-shaped adapter is screwed on the top of the cen-tral tube instead of the fuze and pull-igniters of the Z.Z. 35 type (see Pamphlet No. 8) are inserted in the arms of the adapter and connected to the trip-wire. When the elec-trical fuze is used, a number of mines can be fired simultaneously from a distance.

When the fuze or a pull-igniter, as the case may be, is functioned, the flash passes down the central tube and ignites the composition in the central delay holder which in turn ignites the ejection charge. The explosion of the charge ignites the composition in the other delay holders and ejects the body from the mortar. Whilst in flight the delay composition burns through the length of the holders and initiates the detonators with the result that the bursting charge is detonated and the balls projected.

The discovery of an S-Mine 35 with the following modifications has been reproted:–

Shrapnel, consisting of short lengths of 3/8 inch mild steel rod instead of hardened steel balls.

Mines may be found to have three screws in the base of the mortar which are inserted from the exterior to engage with corresponding tapped holes in the base plate of the body. At a later date the use of the screws was discontinued, and the holes in the base of the mortar were closed by soldering. The base plates with the tapped holes continued to be used.

Fig 1