Mine types

There are two common types of land mines: anti-tank and anti-personnel. Anti-tank mines, designed to imobilize track or wheeled vehicles, vary in the amount of explosive they contain, the normal charge being 6 to 12 pounds. They are used in mine fields or road blocks. Anti-personnel mines are used primarily to produce casualties to personnel, and, secondarily, to give local security and warning. The explosive charge varies from ¼ to 4 pounds. Other, less common, mines are classified in the general categories of impro-visied, dummy, and practice.

Firing devices

Firing devices are classified in accordance with the method of their initiation; that is, pressure, pull, tension-release, or pressure-release. The initiating action causes the de-vice to function by chemical reaction, friction, percussion, or the closing of an electric circuit.

Anti-tank mines generally have a main fuze which is employed as the primary initiating device; however, some anti-tank mines have supplementary activator wells on the side and bottom for booby trapping.

Marking

Mines can be identified by thier color and markings. Land mines are generally painted lusterless olive drab with a yellow base and black markings, while practice mines are painted blue with white markings and dummy mines are black.

Army and Navy types

The Navy does not design land mines, but it has produced three firing devices for use with demolition charges - the Firing Device Mk 1, Mk 3, and Mk 15. Since these could be adapted for use with mines, they are described in this publication. The Navy are produ-ced the practice firecracker.