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(SchrapnellMine35/SMine35)
(US:"BouncingBetty")
PICTURE:Pommiansam/41Swithitspressureactivatedfuse.Bothbeingpaintedblueandthemarkingsinsideof
itindicatethatthisistrainingversionofthemine.(PhototakenSotamuseo).CLICKTHUMBNAILTOSEE
LARGERPIC(49KB).
Construction:
Fuse type:
Basic principle:
Location:
Height of mine:
Diameter of mine:
10.2 cm
Weight:
some 4 kg
Explosive charge:
Trip-wire activated.
Country of origin:
Germany
(*)NotmentionedinFinnishmanuals,soprobablynotusedbyFinnishArmy.
Transportmethod:Boxeseachcontaining3mines.Weightoftheboxabout15kg.
Year1935GermanmilitaryintroducedSchrapnellMine35antipersonnelmine.
DesignofthisminewasexceptionallyeffectiveandduringWorldWar2itachieved
reallybadreputation.UnlikemostantipersonnelminesusedduringWW2iteasily
causedmultiplecasualtieswhenitexplodedanditseffectiverangewasmuchlarger
thanwithotherantipersonnelmines.SMinehadbothpressureactivated(activatedby
steppingon)andtripwireactivated(activatedbywalkingonwire)fuses.Ineither
casetriggeringtheminesetofftheigniter,whichsetthematerialdelaypelletonfire.
Thematerialinitburned3.9secondsbeforeitsetofftheprimarycharge,whichthrew
theminetoheightof0.71.5metres,wherethemainchargedetonated.Thewhole
processtookabout4.5seconds.Assidesofthesemineshadbeenfilledwithabout
360metalballsormildsteelrodsorpiecesofshrapneltheblastofmaincharge
createdlargenumberofprojectilesflyingtoallsidesin360degreepattern.Therange
theseprojectileswerecapablecreatingcasualtiesexceeded100meters.According
somesourcesthelethalrangewasabout20meters.Thisantipersonnelminemodel
withhelpofWW2eraUSpropagandaprobablyalsodeservesthedistinctionbeing
thelandmine,whichcreatedthemythof"landminewhichdoesn'tblastuntilfooton
topofitisremoved"stillcommonlyfoundinliterature,moviesandtelevisionshows.
Inrealityremovingthefootfromtopofthemineornotdidn'treallymatter,ifthefoot
wasstillontoptheSminewhentheprimarychargedetonated(propellingthemineto
air)theblastwaspowerfulenoughtocertainlyremovethelegbyforce.Aftersetting
ofSMine35remainingstandingortryingtorunawaywerealsoprettycertainways
ofgettingoneselfkilledthesmartestthingwasgettingdownfastandhopingthatthe
minewouldexplodeashighaspossible.
IneithercaseSMine35provedtobeoneofthemosteffectiveantipersonnel
landminesofWorldWar2.Itseffectivenessinkillingenemyinfantryandreliability
provedexcellent,whiletheselectionoffusesofferedgoodselectionformethodsof
armingit.However,atthesametimeitwasveryexpensiveandquitedifficultto
manufacture,whichisprobablywhiletheGermansintroducedSMine44already
duringthewar.BeforeitscollapseGermanymanufacturedsome1.93millionSMine
35andSMine44.Afterthewarmanycountriescopiedthebasicconceptof
antipersonnelminelaunchingitselffromthegroundanddetonatingmidairfortheir
ownantipersonnelmines.
PICTURE:ThreePommiansam/41Sintheiroriginaltransportboxwithoutfuses.Thesemineshavebeenpainted
withthecolourusedinlivemines.(PhototakenJalkavkimuseo).CLICKTHUMBNAILTOSEELARGERPIC
(51KB).
FinnishArmystartedbuyingSMine35fromGermanyafterWinterWar.Finnish
militarynamedtheminepommiansam/41S,whichroughlytranslatesasbombtrap
m/41S.TheletterSinnameoftheminecamefromwordsaksalainen(German).
AccordingFinnishmanualsthesemineswereconsideredsuitableforbeinginstalled
byengineersonly.Thebasicmethodforusingthemwasbuildingminefieldsinfront
ofownfrontlinepositionstoplaces,whichcouldnotbecoveredwithdirectfire.
Finnishtroopstheseminesmostlywithpressureactivatedfuses,butalsopull
activatedfuseswereused.Electricalfusesdoesn'tseemtohavebeenusedbyFinnish
troops,sinceFinnishmanualsdon'tmentionthematall.Finlandbougthatleast
50,000oftheseminesfromGermanyafterWinterWar.Finnishtroopstypically
installedtheseminesusuallywithabout2meterdistancebetweenindividualmines.
WhenitcomestoreliabilitytheFinnishexperienceswereveryfavourable.Themines
proveddifficulttodestroywithartilleryfireandlongtermreliabilitywasexcellent.
AccordingestimatesgatheredinMayof1944still5080%ofpommiansam/41
Swerefullyfunctionalafterfullyearofbuildingtheminefieldcontainingthem.
However,duetotheeffectivenessofthesemines,unlikewithotherlandmines,using
theminminefieldsbuiltinsideownpositionswasstrictlyforbidden.Duetohighprice
theFinnstrieddevelopingtheirownrathersimilar,butsimplerdomesticantipersonnel
mineduringContinuationWar,buttheprojectprovedtobeafailure.
FinnishsmallscaletestingdonebyEngineerDepartmentIofFinnishArmedForces
GHQinDecemberof1941showsthattheprimarychargewentoffabout4.5seconds
aftertheminesweretriggeredasplannedandworkedasintended.Howevertheheight
onwhichmainexplosiveschargedetonatedvariedquiteconsiderably,withdetonation
heightvaryingaboutinbetween0.53meters.Numberoftargetshadbeenplacedin
similarpatternaroundeachminefortestingfragementationpattern.Theresults
suggestthatthoseminesthatdetonatedtoohighwereconsiderablylessleathalthan
thosethatdetonatedinabouttheintendedheight,sincetheminedetonatingtoheight
of3metersproducedlessthanhalfofhitsthattheminesdetonatingincorrectheight
producedtotargets.