Tellermine 29

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Tellermine 29
German - Tellermine 29.jpg
A Tellermine 29 showing the three fuzes.
TypeAnti-tank blast mine
Place of originGermany
Service history
In service1929–1945 [1]
Used byGermany
Wars World War II
Production history
Designed1929
No. built61,000 approx
VariantsT.Mi.29 (Ueb)
Specifications
Mass6 kg (13 lb 4 oz)
Height0.07 m (3 in) (without fuse)
Diameter0.25 m (9.8 in)

Filling TNT
Filling weight4.5 kg (9 lb 15 oz)
Detonation
mechanism
Three ZDZ 29 pressure fuzes

The Tellermine 29 is a round, metal-cased German anti-tank blast landmine. It first entered service in 1929, and the initial German defence plan was to purchase 6,000 a year, but in January 1931 it was decided to speed up the purchase process, and 61,418 were ordered. [2] By 1937, with the introduction of the Tellermine 35, it was being used for training, and the majority were sent to warehouses. [3]

The mine did see limited service during the Second World War, notably after D-Day in France, where allied troops reported encountering it.

The mine uses three Z.D.Z. 29 fuzes that are normally set at an activation pressure of 125 kg, but can be set to function with a pressure of just 45 kg or even function as a tripwire fuze. The mine is fitted with two secondary fuze wells that enable the fitting of anti-handling devices.

A training version of the mine designated T.Mi.29 (Ueb) was also produced that was filled with a smoke-generating main charge and holes along the circumference to allow the smoke to escape. [3]

A number of Yugoslavian mines copied the basic pattern of the Tellermine 29, including the TMA 3 and TMA 4.

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References

  1. Some sources indicate that the mine was warehoused in 1937, where they remained for the duration of World War II until destroyed by allied forces, however some report allied forces encountering them in Normandy
  2. Минное оружие Вермахта min-wermaxt
  3. 1 2 Инженерные боеприпасы (T-Mi-42) - tmi-42.html Archived 2007-10-23 at the Wayback Machine