| Holzmine 42 | |
|---|---|
 A schematic of components | |
| Type | Anti-tank mine |
| Place of origin |  Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942-1945 |
| Used by | Wehrmacht |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 5,000,000 [1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8.2 kg (18 lb) [2] |
| Length | 31 cm (12.2 in) |
| Width | 31 cm (12.2 in) |
| Height | 12 cm (4.7 in) [1] |
| Filling | Amatol [2] |
| Filling weight | 5 kg (11 lb) [1] |
The Holzmine 42 was an anti-tank mine that was developed by Germany and used by the Wehrmacht during World War II.
The Holzmine 42 was designed to be a low cost, and easy to produce anti-tank mine which could utilize the woodworking industry while relieving pressure on the overstretched metalworking industry. [3] An advantage of a wooden mine is that it is hard to detect with metal detectors since there are few metal components but in wet conditions, the wood could rot and the explosives could become wet. [1]
The body of the Holzmine 42 consisted of a wooden box divided into four compartments by with removable partitions. The two side compartments contained the main explosive filling of 5.4 kg (12 lb) Amatol that was waterproofed with bitumen, while the center compartment contained three 200 g (7 oz) waterproofed primer charges, and the end compartment contained the operating mechanism. [2] The end compartment contained a rectangular shearing flange secured to the outside wall of the box by two 9.52 mm (0.375 in) wooden dowels and a pressure of approximately 91 kg (200 lb) sheared the dowels and forced the flange down onto the igniter pin and freeing the spring-loaded striker. The Holzmine 42 could also be fitted with an anti-tamper device which consisted of a Z. Z. 35 fuze that screwed into a hole in the bottom of the box which connected to one of the primer charges. [2]
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automatically by way of pressure when a target steps on it or drives over it, although other detonation mechanisms are also sometimes used. A land mine may cause damage by direct blast effect, by fragments that are thrown by the blast, or by both. Landmines are typically laid throughout an area, creating a minefield which is dangerous to cross.
In anti-tank warfare, an anti-tank mine is a type of land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including tanks and armored fighting vehicles.
The Type 91 was an aerial torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was in service from 1931 to 1945. It was used in naval battles in World War II and was specially developed for attacks on ships in shallow harbours.
The Tellermine 35 (T.Mi.35) was a German metal-cased anti-tank mine used extensively during the Second World War. The mine's case is made of sheet steel, and has a slightly convex pressure plate on the top surface with a central fuze well. Two secondary fuze wells are located on the side and bottom of the mine for anti-handling devices.
The Glasmine 43 was an anti-personnel mine with a glass body used by the Nazi Germany during World War II.
The Tellermine 42 (T.Mi.42) was a German metal-cased anti-tank blast mine used during the Second World War. The mine was a development of the Tellermine 35 with improved resistance to blast. It was followed by the simplified Tellermine 43. The Tellermine consists of a circular pressed steel main body with a large central pressure plate. The pressure plate is smaller than the earlier Tellermine 35, which increases the mine's resistance to blast. Two secondary fuze wells are provided for anti-handling devices, one in the side, and one on the bottom of the mine. The mine has a carrying handle.
The Tellermine 43 was a German circular steel cased anti-tank blast mine used during the Second World War. It was a simplified version of the Tellermine 42, which enabled simpler production techniques. Between March 1943 and the end of World War II, over 3.6 million Tellermine 43s were produced by Germany. Copies of the mine were produced by several countries including Denmark (M/47), France and Yugoslavia (TMM-1).
The 76 mm gun M1 was an American World War II–era tank gun developed by the U.S United States Ordnance Department in 1942 to supplement the 75 mm gun on the basic Medium tank M4. It was also used to arm the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer.
The Riegel mine 43 or is a German steel cased anti-tank bar mine used during the Second World War. The mine is a long thin rectangle. It consists of a lower and upper metal tray, and an internal metal-cased explosive block. It uses two ZZ42 fuzes inserted into either end of the internal block, although it can be used with an additional pressure fuze on the top. The mine is similar to the Italian B-2 mine. A variant, the Riegel mine 44 was also produced with a different fuze. Approximately 3,051,400 were produced between 1943 and 1945.
The Panssarimiina m/39 is a Finnish anti-tank blast mine used during the Winter War, Second World War and Continuation War. The mine superseded the Panssarimiina m/36 in service with the Finnish Army. It was first delivered in December 1939 while the Winter War was taking place. Though it was simpler to produce than the earlier m/36 it was still too complicated, and supply was outstripped by demand. This spawned the rapid design and development of the wooden Panssarimiina m/S-39 which could be largely produced without the use of metal working machinery.
The Mk 7 mine was a circular British anti-tank blast mine. It replaced the World War 2-era Mk 5 mine, and has in turn been replaced by the L9 bar mine.
The 7.5 cm KwK 40(7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 40) was a German 75 mm Second World War era vehicle-mounted gun, used as the primary armament of the German Panzer IV medium tank and the Sturmgeschütz III and Sturmgeschütz IV tank destroyers/assault guns.
An anti-handling device is an attachment to or an integral part of a landmine or other munition such as some fuze types found in general-purpose air-dropped bombs, cluster bombs and sea mines. It is designed to prevent tampering or disabling, or to target bomb disposal personnel. When the protected device is disturbed, it detonates, killing or injuring anyone within the blast area. There is a strong functional overlap of booby traps and anti-handling devices.
The Topfmines were a series of German circular minimum metal anti-tank blast mines that entered service with the German army in 1944, during the Second World War.
The Pappmine or Cardboard Mine in English was an anti-tank mine that was developed by Germany and used by the Wehrmacht during World War II.
The Shitotsubakurai lunge mine was a suicidal anti-tank weapon developed and used by the Empire of Japan during the Second World War. It used a HEAT type charge. This weapon was used by the CQC units of the Imperial Japanese Army. The weapon itself was a conical hollow charge anti-tank mine, placed inside a metallic container and attached to the end of a wooden stick. The weapon was officially adopted by the Japanese Army in 1945; in that year it caused its first victims in the Pacific Theater, where it commonly saw action against American armour. Later that year, some Japanese Imperial Army manuals of the weapon were discovered by US troops.
The Stielgranate 42 was a German fin-stabilized demolition charge, used with the 15 cm SIG 33 heavy infantry gun and armored vehicles armed with the SIG 33 during World War II. The primary purpose of the Stielgranate 42 was the demolition of concrete fortifications and for the clearing of minefields and barbed wire. Unlike the Stielgranate 41 it was not a shaped charge anti-tank weapon. In an emergency, the Stielgranate 42 could be used in an anti-tank role to great effect but due to its short range and poor accuracy the gun crew would be dangerously exposed to enemy fire.
The Behelfs-Schützenmine S.150 was an anti-personnel mine that was developed by Germany and used by the Wehrmacht during World War II.
The AB 250-2(Abwurfbehälter) was a cluster bomb used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
The B-Stabmine (Behelfs-Stabmine) or Makeshift Stickmine in English was an anti-tank mine that was developed by Germany and used by the Wehrmacht during World War II.