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  • Landmine Questions

    I'm asking these questions with World War II era landmines in my head, but information about modern mines would be interesting as well.

    ---

    Given a typical anti-personnel landmine (as much as there is such a thing) How close do you have to come to actually stepping on the thing for it to go off?

    If a landmine was buried somewhere within a 3 by 3 foot patch of earth, what the chance be of someone walking through that patch of dirt without setting the thing off?

  • #2
    Re: Landmine Questions

    Originally posted by Blackclaw
    I'm asking these questions with World War II era landmines in my head,
    And yes, it hurts..

    Sometimes the things I write just don't go as planned.

    Comment


    • #3
      Well, it would probably depend on the weight of the person for one. I dont know much about landmines.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Landmine Questions

        Originally posted by Blackclaw
        Given a typical anti-personnel landmine (as much as there is such a thing) How close do you have to come to actually stepping on the thing for it to go off?
        AP mines or booby traps? Most AP mines of that era were pressure plate triggered. You have to apply sufficent pressure to the trigger.

        Originally posted by Blackclaw
        If a landmine was buried somewhere within a 3 by 3 foot patch of earth, what the chance be of someone walking through that patch of dirt without setting the thing off?
        Are you taking a stroll or dodging bullets? A sunday stroll, you'll probably miss it. Kissing mud would expose you insides to sunlight.

        Comment


        • #5
          I don't know dick about WWII mines, but i can give ya a good rundown on 'modern' mines, most of which are really Vietnam era designs.

          M-14 aka the 'toe popper'.

          Small device about 2" long, and about 2.5" in diameter with a pressure pin. 1oz explosive charge. 20lb pressure fuze. You had to literally step right on it(or crawl on it). As the name suggests, it was a maimer...not a killer.

          M-16A2 aka 'bouncing betty'.

          Cylindrical device about 4" in diameter, and about 6" tall. Dual action triggering mechanisms- trip wire or pressure spikes. Spikes require 20lbs to set off. Tripwire is 10lbs of pressure.

          Upon detonation a secondary charge would fire the mine to about chest height, whereupon the primary charge would explode. Mine is filled with hundreds of steel ball bearings. 30 meter lethal radius.

          There are literally 10s of thousands of M-16s and M16A1s all along the DMZ in Korea.

          M18 aka 'claymore'

          Directional mine that can be triggered by either a tripwire or a remote hard wired electronic detonator.

          Directional mine that covers a 60 degree arc to a forward lethal range of 60 meters, and an effective range of 100 meters. The M18 has an optimum range of 50 meters, creating a 50 meter wide by 2 meter tall kill zone. Payload of approx 1000 steel ball bearings. Lethal backblast zone of 30 meters. Explose payload 1.5lbs of C-4.

          Extremely effective APERS mine, designed primarily for use against massed infantry assaults.

          It does have the drawback of being radio frequency sensitive, and vulnerable to inadvertant(or intentional) detonation.


          My sniper team carried two M18 clayores, one per man. They were used for flank security and remote detonated via the M57 clacker.

          Comment


          • #6
            What if you step on a mine, but then quickly jump away, a kind of a frog leap jump. I always had the impression in my head that if you do that you will probably avoid getting hurt badly, but I'm probably wrong.

            Comment


            • #7
              You'll activate the pressure trigger. The physics state that you must apply full weight to the ground before you can "spring" back into the air.

              Comment


              • #8
                So there are two triggers?
                A pressure trigger and a release trigger?
                What if you just fall face first into the dirt without applying much pressure?

                Comment


                • #9
                  You're going to starve to death.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    What the Colonel means is that you will be maimed, most probably losing your feet and unless a friends helps you, you will be there forever.

                    The blast happens too fast and therefore all the reactions that one could think about are merely academic.

                    The M16 mine is also known as the 'jumping mine'. There is a possibility that if you are in the prone position, then you maybe saved. It depends if you are in the 'spread area' or not.

                    My advise to you is stay away from them. There are awful.


                    "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                    I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                    HAKUNA MATATA

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      A relative of mine told me when somebody in his unit stepped on a landmine, there would be a clicking noise, and they would freeze. The other guys would then find a large rock, and slowly move in on top of the landmine while the guy would slowly move off of it.
                      "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Ironman,

                        I don't know what mine that could be.

                        I have seen four wars and have lived a large part of my life in mine infested area. I have not seen such a thing happen. They ahve always been awfully devastating.

                        Colonel, you are an military engineer and could you explain? I am very curious.


                        "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                        I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                        HAKUNA MATATA

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Ray
                          Ironman,

                          I don't know what mine that could be.
                          Maybe it depends on the type of mine.

                          I think, the type of mine he was talking about was activated by a heavy downward pressure (i.e. person steps on it), and explodes when that pressure is released (i.e. person steps off it). If the weight is replaced, then the mine will be activated, but not explode. He told me it was quite a laborious task and not always successful.
                          "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Ironman,

                            As a military man, I would be real surprised if something allow the adversary a chance. I am not aware of such mines. Yet, I will admit I am no mine specialist.


                            "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                            I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                            HAKUNA MATATA

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Spring release. The downward pressure releases the locking mechanism that keeps the spring in place to pop it back up, usally to an air release fuse. A compressed spring retains its energy more than a stretched spring would over time.

                              Typical of AP mines with dual pressure and trip wire triggers.

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