100. Bounding Gas Mine 37 (Sprühbüchse 37; Sp.Bü. 37)

a. Description. The antipersonnel bounding gas mine 37 (fig. 119) closely resembles a large S-mine (par. 85) in external appearance and is very similar to the Soviet bounding gas mine KhF-1 (TM 5-223A). A cylindrical steel case 7 inches in diameter and 16 inches high, fitted with a handle of wood and wire, houses a cylindrical metal mine unit which contains about 2 gallons of liquid contaminant (usually mustard). A central ignition tube welded to the bottom of the mine unit contains a main charge for bursting the mine, a detonator, and a wooden plug with a delay pellet. A base plug is threaded internally to receive the bowl-shaped propelling charge consisting of 300 grams (0.66 pounds) of black powder in a metal case. A filler plug is centrally located in the top of the mine and a flash tube projects above the top of the mine and ends in a horizontal and a vertical fuze well, both internally threaded to receive the fuze. The bottom of the flash tube leads into the propelling charge. The fuze used with this mine is the 5-minute clockwork delay fuze (par. 56). The letters Sp.Bü. 37 are stencilled in white on the side of the steel case and two yellow bands are painted on the upper portion of the mine unit. All points where leakage might occur are painted with a pink contaminant-detector varnish which turns red when contacted by gas.

b. Employment. This mine is employed to deny various areas to opposing forces by con-taminating the areas with gas. The mine may be laid to give either an air burst or a ground burst. One mine will contaminate an area of 180 square yards in a ground burst and up to 600 square yards in an air burst.

c. Functioning.

(1)

Air burst. The 5-minute clockwork delay fuze ignites the propelling charge, propel-ling the mine unit out of the steel case 10 to 20 feet into the air before the delay pellet (0.4 second) sets off the detonator and the main charge. The explosion bursts the mine unit, spreading contaminant over an area of 360 to 600 square yards.

(2)

Ground burst. The 5-minute clockwork delay fuze, screwed into the base plug sets off the detonator and the main charge. The explosion bursts the mine unit, spread-ing contaminant over an area of about 180 square yards.

d. Installing and Arming.

(1)

For air burst.

(a)

Place the mine in a hole so a fourth of the mine will be above the ground.

(b)

Loosen the turned-over lip at the top of the steel case with a screw driver or pair of pliers.

(c)

Wind the 5-minute clockwork delay fuze with the winding key and set the dial at the desired number of minutes delay. Do not set the fuze for a delay of less than 2 minutes.

(d)

Screw the 5-minute clockwork delay fuze into one of the fuze wells.

(e)

Remove the safety-pin retaining wire and pull the safety pin out of the fuze. This starts the mechanism. If the fuze is a type III, 5-minute clockwork delay fuze, set the arming knob at scharf.

(2)

For ground burst.

(a)

Remove the mine unit from the steel case by loosening the turned-over lip at the top of the steel case with a screw driver or a pair of pliers.

(b)

Unscrew the propelling charge and the base plug and remove the delay pellet.

(c)

Replace the base plug and screw a 5-minute clockwork delay fuze into it.

(d)

Arm the 5-minute clockwork delay fuze the same way at it is armed for an air burst.

(e)

Place the mine unit on the ground.

Figure 119. Bounding gas mine 37.

e. Neutralizing. Insert a wire or nail in the safety-pin hole of the 5-minute clockwork de-lay fuze and unscrew  it from the mine. If a type III 5-minute clockwork delay fuze has been used, turn the arming knob to sicher, insert a safety pin, and unscrew the fuze. In destroying these mines no more than five should be destroyed at one time. The mines are placed in a pit 3 feet deep. They are then covered with a 1-foot layer of decontami-nant and then with a 1-foot layer of packed earth. The mines are destroyed by demoli-tion charges. An area with a radius of 50 yards from the mines should be evacuated. An "unsafe area", bounded by two lines extending 2,000 yards down wind at a 30° angle from the direction of the wind, should be posted.

Note. Only in rare instances will the opportunity present itself to neutralize the mine.