88. Concrete Ball Mine

a. Description. The antipersonnel concrete ball mine (fig. 107) consists of a main charge encased in a ball-shaped case of concrete, 10 inches in diameter, embedded with metal fragments. The total weight of the mine is about 20 pounds, including the main charge of about 1.5 pounds of explosive blocks. This mine is fuzed with the fuse lighter 29 (par. 48). The fuze and the detonator holder are held in position in the mine by a wooden block, the fuze being held in the wooden block by wedges. The fuze and the detonator are connected by 2 inches of time fuze, which takes abaout 10 seconds to burn through. The mine has an effective casualty radius of 15 yards and a danger-area radius up to 150 yards.

Figure 107. Concrete ball mine.

b. Employment. This mine was installed along trails and in antitank mine fields with one or more trip wires. It was also used as a grenade by rolling it downhill.

c. Functioning. A pull on the pull ring of the fuse lighter 29 ignites the time fuze, which fires the detonator and the main charge.

d. Installing and Arming.

(1)

Attach the fuse lighter 29 by means of the mine fuze adapter to a short lenght of time fuze equipped with a detonator and insert in a wooden block, weding the fuse lighter in place with wooden wedges, as shown in figure 107.

(2)

Screw the detonator holder and detonator into a block of explosive.

(3)

Install the fuze assembly in the concrete case.

(4)

Place the mine on the ground with fuze assembly horizonatl and secure the mine in place with stakes so that it will not be pulled out of place by the action required to actuate the fuse lighter by the trip wire.

(5)

Attach the trip wire, first at the anchor end then to the pull ring of the fuse lighter.

e. Neuralizing.

(1)

Cut the trip wire.

(2)

Tape the pull ring to the case of the fuse lighter.

(3)

Remove the fuze assembly.

(4)

Disassembly the fuze assembly.