115. Common Booby Traps

The Germans used many ingenious devices as booby traps. Canteens, whistles, and can-dy bare are among the more commonly booby trapped devices.

a. Canteen Booby Trap. The canteen booby trap (fig. 142) consists of a standard Ger-man or United States canteen, containing a charge of explosive. A pull fuze is connected to the cap of the canteen by a wire. The bottom of the canteen is partly cut away to place the charge and the fuze and is then taped or puttied in place. At little water is poured into the top of the canteen to make it seem to be full of water, and the canteen is placed in its canvas case. This booby trap has an effective casualty radius of 3 to 4 yards.

Figure 142. Canteen booby trap.

b. Whistle Booby Trap. The whistle booby trap (fig. 143) consists of a whistle containing a charge coated with a compound which is easily ignited by heat from friction. The ball in the whistle is coated with a rough material. Blowing the whistle vibrates the ball, and the friction between the ball and the compound ignites the compound firing the charge.

Figure 143. Whistle booby trap.

c. Candy-Bar Booby Trap. The candy-bar booby trap (fig. 144) consists of an imitaion candy bar coated with chocolate. When a piece is broken from either end of the bar, pull is exerted on a thin canvas strip connected to a fuze. After a delay of 7 seconds, the charge explodes.

Figure 144. Candy-bar booby trap.