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S-mine

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Military History and War

   An American paratrooper demonstrates the process of removing a live
   S-mine
   Enlarge
   An American paratrooper demonstrates the process of removing a live
   S-mine

   The German S-mine (Schrapnellmine in German), also known as the
   Bouncing Betty, is the best-known version of a class of mines known as
   bounding mines. These mines launch into the air at about waist height
   and explode, propelling shrapnel horizontally at lethal speeds. The
   S-mine was an anti-personnel landmine developed by Nazi Germany in the
   1930s and used extensively by German forces during World War II. It was
   designed to be used in open areas to attack unshielded infantry. Two
   versions were produced, designated by the year of their first
   production: the SMi-35 and SMi-44. There are only minor differences
   between the two models .

   The S-mine entered production in 1935 and served as a key part of the
   defensive strategy of the Third Reich. Until production ceased with the
   defeat of Germany in 1945, Germany produced over 1.93 million S-mines .
   These mines were responsible for inflicting heavy casualties and
   slowing, or even repelling, drives into German-held territory
   throughout the war. The design was lethal, successful and much
   imitated, and remains one of the definitive weapons of World War II.

History

   The first Allied forces to encounter the S-mine were French soldiers
   who were attempting minor probes into the coal-rich German Saar region
   from September 7th through the 11th, 1939, during what is known as the
   Phony War. The S-mine contributed to the withdrawal of these French
   incursions . The mine's performance in the Saar region affirmed its
   effectiveness in the eyes of the German leadership, and prompted the
   United States and other countries to attempt to copy the design . After
   their experience, the French nicknamed the mine the silent soldier.

   Nazi Germany used the S-mine heavily during the defense of its occupied
   territories and the German homeland during the Allied invasions of
   Europe and North Africa. The mines were produced in large numbers and
   planted liberally by defending German units. For example, the German
   Tenth Army deployed over 23,000 of them as part of their defense
   preparation during the Allied invasion of Italy . S-mines were deployed
   on the beaches of Normandy in preparation for the D-Day invasion, as
   part of a general program of heavy mining and fortification. The mines
   were subsequently used to defend German positions during the Battle of
   Normandy and in the defense of Northern France and the German border.
   S-mines were typically used in combination with antitank mines to
   resist the advances of both armor and infantry .

   It was during the Allied actions in Europe that the S-mine gained its
   cynical nickname Bouncing Betty from American infantrymen. The S-mine
   had a great psychological effect on Allied forces, because of its
   tendency to seriously maim infantrymen's limbs or genitalia rather than
   killing them. In his book Mine Warfare on Land, Lt. Col. Sloan
   described the S-mine as "probably the most feared device encountered by
   Allied troops in the war." Exact death tolls inflicted by the S-mine
   are not known, since the Allies did not record whether a death was
   caused by a particular type of weapon, only whether or not the death
   occurred in the course of battle. Civilian casualties are even more a
   matter of speculation.

   S-mine production ceased after the end of World War II. No information
   has been discovered as to the exact fate of the remaining stockpiles of
   the mine, but it can be assumed a majority were destroyed as part of
   the disarmament of Germany after their surrender. It is likely some
   were preserved for study and reverse engineering by the conquering
   Allies. Many direct imitations of the S-mine appeared in the years
   following World War II.

   During the military occupation of Germany and the postwar rebuilding of
   Europe, the American Army Corps of Engineers, the newly established
   French government, and the British Ministry of Defence engaged in one
   of the most prolonged and successful mine clearing operations
   throughout Western Europe. France deployed a variety of personnel to
   this task, including 49,000 German prisoners of war. This joint
   operation eliminated a majority of the remaining fields of landmines on
   the war-torn western half of the continent, and was greatly assisted by
   the German policy of clearly marking and accurately recording the
   locations of minefields .

   However, incidents involving accidental explosions of landmines in
   North Africa, the former Warsaw Pact countries, France, and Germany
   still occur sporadically. North Africa and Eastern Europe have a
   particularly large amount of uncleared World War II era minefields,
   lost in the desert sands or forgotten by authorities. In Libya, for
   example, the Red Cross estimates over 27% of farmland is unusable due
   to World War II minefields. While German documentation says the S-mine
   had an effective lifespan of two to seven years once planted, the
   explosive charge could still operate in mines to this day.

Characteristics

   The German S-mine was a steel cylinder less than 13 cm (5 inches) tall
   without its sensor, and only 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter. A steel rod
   protruding from the mine's top held the main fuze, where its trigger or
   sensor was attached. The SMi-35 had a central fuse, while the SMi-44
   had an offset fuze. It weighed roughly 4 kg (9 pounds), with the weight
   depending on whether it was loaded with the lighter powdered or the
   heavier poured TNT .

   The main charge of the mine used TNT as its explosive; the propelling
   charge was black powder. All triggers for the mine were designed to
   create a spark to set off a flammable fuze inside the device. The
   standard pressure sensor used a percussion cap for this purpose .

   The main fuze was designed to delay the firing of the propelling charge
   for roughly four seconds after the mine was triggered. The explosion of
   the propelling charge sent the mine upwards into the air, and activated
   three short-delay pellets between the propelling charge and the three
   detonators. These short-delay pellets slowed the mine's detonation long
   enough for it to reach an appropriate height before exploding.

   The standard pressure sensor was built to be activated if it was
   depressed by a weight of roughly 7 kilograms (15 pounds) or greater.
   This was to ensure it was not detonated by wildlife or natural impacts.
   The tripwire adapter for the mine was a shallow Y-shaped device, and
   would trigger the mine if the tripwire was pulled away from the mine

Usage

   Diagram of S-mine detonation
   Diagram of S-mine detonation

   The S-mine was normally triggered by a three-pronged pressure sensor.
   It could also be modified to be triggered by a tripwire. A special
   tripwire adapter was provided by the German army. The steel tube that
   held the fuse was threaded to accept any standard German igniter or
   trigger, allowing the sensor to be removed and the mine to be
   deliberately triggered by a human operator . When triggered, the mine
   detonated in two stages (see diagram).
    1. First, the mine was propelled 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 feet) into the air by
       a small propelling charge.
    2. Roughly half a second later, the main charge exploded at the
       optimum height to wound infantry and personnel.
    3. The main charge of the mine was surrounded by roughly 360 ball
       bearings, short steel rods, or scrap metal pieces. These became
       metal shrapnel that sprayed horizontally from the mine at lethal
       speeds.

   The time between triggering and detonation of the propelling charge
   varied between 3.9 and 4.5 seconds, depending on the age and condition
   of the mine. According to German documentation, the S-mine was lethal
   within 20 meters (22 yards) and could inflict casualties within 100 m
   (110 yards). American training manuals warned of casualties at up to
   about 140 m (150 yards) . A common misconception about the S-mine is
   that it would not detonate until its victim stepped off the trigger.
   This fallacy was propagated by incorrect United States propaganda
   during World War II. The mine would detonate whether the trigger was
   released or not. Standing still or attempting to run from the S-mine
   would be equally dangerous. The most effective way to survive the
   mine's detonation would not be to flee but to fall to the ground lying
   face down as quickly as possible.

Detection and disarming

   An American infantryman probes for landmines using a knife
   Enlarge
   An American infantryman probes for landmines using a knife

   The S-mine was constructed mostly of metal, so it could be easily
   detected by metal detectors. However, such expensive and bulky
   equipment was rarely available to infantry units and was prone to
   malfunction. The mine could also be detected through careful manual
   probing, a time-consuming process. Using a knife or a bayonet, an
   infantryman would probe at a low angle through the soil. It was
   important to probe at an angle that would not accidentally depress the
   pressure sensor .

   Once discovered, disarming the S-mine was fairly simple. To prevent
   triggering while the mine was being planted, the German pressure sensor
   featured a hole where a safety pin kept the sensor from being
   depressed. This pin was removed once the mine was planted. If the
   discovered mine was fitted with the pressure sensor, the disarming
   personnel would slip a pin (such as a sewing pin) into this hole. If
   the device was armed with a tripwire or electrical trigger, this could
   simply be cut. Germans were known to use booby traps to discourage
   this, so caution was suggested. The mine could then be removed
   carefully from the ground and the sensor easily unscrewed. If it was
   necessary to render the mine completely inert, three plugs on the top
   granted access to the three detonators inside the mine. These could be
   unscrewed and the detonators removed .

Internal workings

   These diagrams depict the SMi-35 landmine's internal workings, along
   with the workings of the standard three-prong pressure sensor. The
   safety pin for the sensor and the three removable plugs for the
   detonators are clearly visible. These diagrams were issued as part of a
   US Army field manual on landmines in 1943.

               Image:smine-diagram.jpg Image:smine-sensor.jpg

Imitations

   Cutaway American M16A2 Bounding Mine, developed from the S-mine
   Enlarge
   Cutaway American M16A2 Bounding Mine, developed from the S-mine

   The S-mine was an extremely successful design, and allies as well as
   enemies were impressed by the mine's performance and effectiveness.
   Once it had gained its fearsome reputation, the S-mine was widely
   imitated by various countries throughout the world. Both during World
   War II and for many decades afterward, armies have attempted to imitate
   the great success of the S-mine. The nickname 'Bouncing Betty' came to
   be applied to many of its imitations.

   The Finnish army began purchasing the SMi-35 model S-mine from Nazi
   Germany following the Winter War. This was part of a larger military
   assistance agreement between the two nations. Finnish forces achieved
   great success with the S-mine, but the monetary cost of the mine was
   considerable. During the Continuation War, the Finns attempted to
   produce their own version of the mine but with no success .

   The American M-1939 bounding mine was inspired by the success of the
   S-mine. The American army was impressed by the S-mine's role in
   thwarting the French offensive in the German Saar region at the
   beginning of World War II. After the war, the American army developed
   their M16 series of mines directly from captured S-mine designs . The
   Soviet Union also based the design of its OZM series of landmines on
   the German S-mine. The Soviet mines tended to be far simpler
   internally; instead of being filled with ball bearings or scrap metal,
   the OZM-4 mine was given a solid cast-iron body that would fragment on
   its own. Later, the OZM-72 bounding mine was filled with steel rods,
   returning to the original concept of the S-mine. Both of these mines
   are still being produced by Russia.

   Other nations that have produced S-mine-inspired designs include the
   People's Republic of China and Italy. The use of landmines remains a
   controversial issue to this day. Antipersonnel mines like the S-mine
   have been the subject of repeated treaties and human rights objections,
   and are the subject of extensive international debate.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-mine"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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