What's a (aerial) land mine and what's the difference between that and a bomb?
I'matightbastard
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What's a (aerial) land mine and what's the difference between that and a bomb?
Ok, so I was listening to Dad's Army on the radio, and a Land Mine just fell onto the railway line and the town's cut off. Mainwarring's instituted Martial Law...
...but I digress. What's the diffference?
Oh yes, and Pike has got his head stuck in the railings.
...but I digress. What's the diffference?
Oh yes, and Pike has got his head stuck in the railings.
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Some mines are simply long delay bombs, some long delay bombs are called mines. Depends on your military philosophy or application to RoE.
Some bombs require seismic (sp?) / shock or movement to detonate (or to commence fusing) and some require magnetic flux changes, others require a combination of different triggers to commence their pre-determined 'delay'. There is a foggy difference between mines and bombs. Some mines come in the form of a 2000lb bomb (inert unexploded or otherwise).
Mines that are designed to specifically target personel (often without discrimination) are sometimnes called anti personnel mines. It is these types of weapons that were at the recent (a few years back) centre of controversy WRT 'mines'.
Simply put, a mine is a 'just' another type of weapon. Their tactical employment is up to the force that utilises them. How they are used is a matter for RoE.
Some bombs require seismic (sp?) / shock or movement to detonate (or to commence fusing) and some require magnetic flux changes, others require a combination of different triggers to commence their pre-determined 'delay'. There is a foggy difference between mines and bombs. Some mines come in the form of a 2000lb bomb (inert unexploded or otherwise).
Mines that are designed to specifically target personel (often without discrimination) are sometimnes called anti personnel mines. It is these types of weapons that were at the recent (a few years back) centre of controversy WRT 'mines'.
Simply put, a mine is a 'just' another type of weapon. Their tactical employment is up to the force that utilises them. How they are used is a matter for RoE.
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Some legal beagle will probably correct me but I think the fundamental difference is that a bomb goes bnag when it hits the ground (OK plus any delay, minus any proximity fusing, penetration etc) and a mine sits there all beligerent waiting for someone or something to pass nearby and hence set it off.
Mines can be 'sown' by air either in the sea or on land. Oh and they're illegal (well land mines are - not sure about marine mines) which bombs by and large aren't.
Some of our more cunning bombs were partly mines (JP 233) and so we've had to stop using them. Hug that tree - wear those open toed sandals with pride!
Mines can be 'sown' by air either in the sea or on land. Oh and they're illegal (well land mines are - not sure about marine mines) which bombs by and large aren't.
Some of our more cunning bombs were partly mines (JP 233) and so we've had to stop using them. Hug that tree - wear those open toed sandals with pride!
When the secrets of the magnetic mine were discovered by the British in WW2, the Luftwaffe started to drop them in air raids, as they would need specialist equipment and techniques to deal with and the disruption would be severe.
I'matightbastard
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My Gran told us nippers about one that went bnag! just down 'er street. She asked the ARP bloke and 'e said "Don't worry luv. That was just a bmob".
...but thanks for the replies to my question. I got the picture now.
...but thanks for the replies to my question. I got the picture now.
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Bombs drop ballistically, penetrate the ground then explode
Land mines drop retarded by a parachute and explode on the surface
least that is how I allways understood it
Land mines drop retarded by a parachute and explode on the surface
least that is how I allways understood it
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Green Granite, spot on.
The 'cookie' was a land mine. In basic form it was a thin metal cannister and nominally 4 000lb. Bolt 2 or 3 together and you got a real bnag.
At East Kirkby they have a couple on a bomb trolley. These bombs do not have tail fins.
I read a secret report of a secret German report. They correctly identified the 12 000lb bombs both Tall Boy and Land Mine but did not realise they were actually quite different aerodynamically. Their report quoted the one bomb being dropped from over 12 000 feet and as low as 50 feet.
Not quite sure why they got it that wrong.
The 1 000lb GP Bomb is designated as a Medium capacity weapon ie its case and explosive are about 50-50 and it is designed as blast, frag, shock whatever. A land mine OTOH has a case nearer 20% of its total weight and is designated as High Capacity.
I seem to recall, from East Kirkby, that they had rather more fuses than a simple nose/tail. Possibly because its probablity of exploding with one nose fuse, given its low impact velocity, would be low. The additional fuses possibly included anti-tamper devices.
In our use their main purpose was to flatten buildings thus exposing timber and flamable materials to air and the incendiaries.
The 'cookie' was a land mine. In basic form it was a thin metal cannister and nominally 4 000lb. Bolt 2 or 3 together and you got a real bnag.
At East Kirkby they have a couple on a bomb trolley. These bombs do not have tail fins.
I read a secret report of a secret German report. They correctly identified the 12 000lb bombs both Tall Boy and Land Mine but did not realise they were actually quite different aerodynamically. Their report quoted the one bomb being dropped from over 12 000 feet and as low as 50 feet.
Not quite sure why they got it that wrong.
The 1 000lb GP Bomb is designated as a Medium capacity weapon ie its case and explosive are about 50-50 and it is designed as blast, frag, shock whatever. A land mine OTOH has a case nearer 20% of its total weight and is designated as High Capacity.
I seem to recall, from East Kirkby, that they had rather more fuses than a simple nose/tail. Possibly because its probablity of exploding with one nose fuse, given its low impact velocity, would be low. The additional fuses possibly included anti-tamper devices.
In our use their main purpose was to flatten buildings thus exposing timber and flamable materials to air and the incendiaries.
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As a kid growing up in the East End during the Blitz I remember that "land mines" always seem to finish up hanging from one of the few trees that were left. They certainly arrived by parachute and made a bl***y big bang when they went off. Normally good for a bit of time off school as the unexploded ones always caused a local evacuation whilst they were dealt with.
A bomb will initiate detonation of its own volition be that fusing, timer or some other method. A mine however deployed requires some form of intervention by the victim to to bnag.
ALWAYS assume NEVER check
ALWAYS assume NEVER check
Ah - so those 950lb HEMC things with a parachute which we might have had to drop out of the bomb bay of a Tin Triangle weren't mines then.
Thought not.
And they would probably have gone BNAG!! in a thermonulcear sort of way. Not 'arf, mates!
Thought not.
And they would probably have gone BNAG!! in a thermonulcear sort of way. Not 'arf, mates!
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Now that Shack has made a comment I would be happy to say that he is right.
There were several of these 'mines' dropped in 1940/42. They were called 'Aerial Torpedos' or aerial mines or parachute mines because they arrived on a parachute. One such incident occured a 100 yards from my home. This one was a 'torpedo' it hung up on a tree, in a fairly strong wind and soon dislodged itself and blew up three houses with nothing more than lost possessions and lots of broken windows. Bad enough but another also got hung up in a tree near my school and we wanted the parachute, or at least some of the cords which made great belts. A policeman (silly man) after clearing everyone at least a 1/4 mile away went up the tree to secure it. Sadly he failed and it went off this time scattering 2 or 3 smaller mines.
We were lucky because the reality was that a 1/4 mile was not nearly enough - half a mile would have been better - but no-one was injured except the policeman who was never found. Whole anyway.
Later the bomb of the day was the 'butterfly bomb' which, if you picked it up, opened its wings and exploded.
The Japanese tried aerial mines, shaped like a torpedo. Close to the ground it opened and out flew a lot of smaller ones. Bit like a cluster bomb. Don't know much more about those.
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There were several of these 'mines' dropped in 1940/42. They were called 'Aerial Torpedos' or aerial mines or parachute mines because they arrived on a parachute. One such incident occured a 100 yards from my home. This one was a 'torpedo' it hung up on a tree, in a fairly strong wind and soon dislodged itself and blew up three houses with nothing more than lost possessions and lots of broken windows. Bad enough but another also got hung up in a tree near my school and we wanted the parachute, or at least some of the cords which made great belts. A policeman (silly man) after clearing everyone at least a 1/4 mile away went up the tree to secure it. Sadly he failed and it went off this time scattering 2 or 3 smaller mines.
We were lucky because the reality was that a 1/4 mile was not nearly enough - half a mile would have been better - but no-one was injured except the policeman who was never found. Whole anyway.
Later the bomb of the day was the 'butterfly bomb' which, if you picked it up, opened its wings and exploded.
The Japanese tried aerial mines, shaped like a torpedo. Close to the ground it opened and out flew a lot of smaller ones. Bit like a cluster bomb. Don't know much more about those.
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An elderly relative was in the Home Guard in Liverpool during the war (just don't mention Dad's Army).
I remember him telling me that aerial mines descended on a parachute and the trigger/detonator switch 'unwound' on a length of wire and hung 100 ft. or so below the bomb on its descent. This resulted in the bomb exploding 100 ft. in the air (obviously) and causing much more damage - "they would take the whole bloody street out". How accurate this is I don't know.
As for the butterfly bomb, he said they were only used for couple of weeks that he knew of. They used to cause little damage but vast disruption all over the place whilst areas were made safe -- a combination of timers and anti-tamper devices made them nightmarish to deal with, and if the Germans had realised how effective they were they would have used them much more.
I remember him telling me that aerial mines descended on a parachute and the trigger/detonator switch 'unwound' on a length of wire and hung 100 ft. or so below the bomb on its descent. This resulted in the bomb exploding 100 ft. in the air (obviously) and causing much more damage - "they would take the whole bloody street out". How accurate this is I don't know.
As for the butterfly bomb, he said they were only used for couple of weeks that he knew of. They used to cause little damage but vast disruption all over the place whilst areas were made safe -- a combination of timers and anti-tamper devices made them nightmarish to deal with, and if the Germans had realised how effective they were they would have used them much more.
