Over-all length

Over-all width

Over-all height

Type of filling

Weight of filling

Total weight

V-3: The mine is made of sheet steel, its body strengthened by two partitions. The charge extends between two firing mechanism. The cover is secured to the body by concave-headed nuts, engaging on actuating bolts positioned by springs resting between a nut on the underside of the cover and a plate covering the firing mechanism.

When the nuts beneath the lid are screwed down, the springs compress, increasing the pressure required to operate the mine. Unscrewing the nuts makes the mine more sensi-tive to pressure; as little as 22 lb. weight can be made to trip the striker. The underside of the cover has two knives engaging in guides provided to take copper pins. (A weight of 264 lb. is required to shear the pins.) At each the end of the body are cocking grips, pulled to cock the firing pins. The mechanism is shown. When the striker spring is com-pressed, the flange of the striker is held by a cotter on a U-shaped spring clip. A percus-sion cap is accommodated in a holder which is inserted in a hole in the side of the mine. The holder passes into an annular space in the striker body, held there by a blade retain-ing spring engaging in the slot. The actuating pin inserted through a hole in the side of the body is the connection between an actuating bolt and the U-shaped spring clip car-rying the cotter.

The pressure applied to the mine cover force down the actuating bolt against the spring, which comes into contact with the actuating pin, causing a U-shaped spring clip to de-press against the retaining spring. The flange thus freed allows the striker to initiate the percussion cap and fire the deto-nator.

V-5: Similar to V-3, except for reduction of charge to 2 pounds of cylindrical borehole charge, omission of shear wire, and inversion of parts so V-5 has appearance V-3 upside down.

Figure 243
V-3 Anti-Tank Mine