M1 mine

Image:M1-M4 mine cutaway.JPG

Image:170409-Bunkermuseum-Dettenheim-11.jpg

The M1, M1A1 and M4 are circular steel cased United States anti-tank blast mines with a distinctive cross shaped pressure spider. The mine was used during the Second World War and a copy produced in Argentina was used during the Falklands War. Another copy is produced in China, there designated as the No. 4 mine. Variants of the mine have also been deployed in Chad and Tunisia.

Downward pressure on the spider presses down on the head of the fuze, breaks a shear pin, and inverts a belleville spring, flipping the striker downwards into a stab sensitive detonator, triggering the mine. The M4 version of the mine has two secondary fuze wells so that anti-handling devices can be fitted.

Variants

  • M1 – the mine has two filler plugs on the top surface.
  • M1A1 – the mine has a single filler plug on the top surface.
  • M4 – as the M1A1 but with two secondary fuze wells, one on the side and one in the bottom.

Specifications

  • Weight: 4.80 kg
  • Explosive content: 2.70 kg of TNT
  • Height: 102 mm
  • Diameter: 203 mm
  • Operating pressure: 120 kg to 250 kg{{Citation|title=U.S. LANDMINE, AT, HE, M1, M1A1 & M4|publisher=ORDATA|url=http://ordata.info/ordnance?id=http%3A%2F%2Fcord.gichd.org%2Fontology%23Landmine3912|access-date=2016-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005114850/http://ordata.info/ordnance?id=http%3A%2F%2Fcord.gichd.org%2Fontology%23Landmine3912|archive-date=2016-10-05|url-status=dead}}

References