146. Explosive Devices

a. Shells and Bombs. The Germans used shelling and bombing to clear lanes in mine fields which were fairly well-located and which could not be cleared by other methods. Shelling and bombing were not used to clear entire mine fields.

(1)

Shelling. In clearing lanes with artillery fire, the Germans used light field howitzer and 21-cm (210-mm) mortars (short-barrelled howitzer, not like the U.S. infantry mortar) with instantaneous percussion-fuzed shells, and heavy field howitzers with short-delay percussion-fuzed shells. The fire was concentrated. To clear a lane about 75 feet wide and 300 yards deep, the Germans expended the following ap-proximate number of rounds:

(a)

120 rounds from the 21-cm mortar with instantaneous percussion fuzes.

(b)

400 rounds from the heavy field howitzer with delay percussion fuzes.

(c)

600 rounds from the light field howitzer with instantaneous percussion fuzes.

(2)

Bombing. The Germans found bombing in rows with 110-pound (50-kg) bombs to be a particularly effective clearing practice; however, the bombs made craters too deep for tanks to get through. To clear a lane to 150 to 300 feet wide and 650 feet deep, the Germans found by experience that 960 of these 110-pound bombs were necessary.

b. Detonationg-Cord Net (Knallnetz). The Germans cleared lanes through mine fields by using detonating-cort nets. Each net is 30 feet long and 8 feet wide with a 6-inch mesh (fig. 187). It weighs about 20 pounds and has a diameter of 6 inches, when rolled. The net is raised 2 to 3 feet above the ground on pegs or stakes. It is laid by hand.

Figure 187. Detonating-cord net.

c. Mobile Bangalore Torpedo (Ladungsschieber). The mobile bangalore torpedo (fig. 188) is improvised from pipe and several two-wheeled axles which are assembled and spaced 16 feet apart. The bangalore torpedo is laid over the axles and made fast. To supplement the charge contained within the bangalore torpedo, two charges weighing 3 pounds each are taped to each section of the torpedo. The normal length of the mobile bangalore tor-pedo is 80 feet and clears a gap 12 to 18 feet wide. The torpedo is towed as far as pos-sible before being pushed out into the mine field. A skid nose is sometimes attached to the front end for use in rough terrain.

Figure 188. Mobile bangalore torpedo.