US Marine disarms a Japanese "yardstick" mine placed over an aircraft bomb on Iwo Jima in March 1945

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Ай бұрын

US Intelligence evaluation of this "bar" type of anti-tank mine:
"This Japanese land mine, of Naval origin, is usually found buried in landing strips. Almost any vehicle will activate the mine, but its use as an anti-personnel device is limited since a pressure of approximately 336 pounds is necessary to set it off. The mine consists of an oval shaped tube of sheet metal with a cap on both ends; an explosive charge comprising eight blocks of picric acid, each cast in a paper container and coated with paraffin; and four percussion type fuzes. The picric acid blocks which are flattened on one side do not fill the mine completely. The space between the flat side of the blocks and the wall of the case accommodates the protruding heads of the fuzes which are inserted between blocks."
"The percussion type fuze consists of a cylindrical body which houses the striker release plunger, a booster housing, and a striker housing. The two latter parts are identical in external appearance and screw into the sides of the main body diametrically opposite each other. The striker release plunger, a split pin with an enlarged flat head, is positioned in the fuze body by a copper shear wire. A second hole 90 degrees from the shear wire hole accommodates a safety wire. The lower end of the plunger is split by a slot, the width of which is increased on the inner end. The mine is held in an unarmed position by the safety wire which is inserted through a hole in one of the end caps, and extends the entire length of the mine. A spring clip on the cap holds the wire in place. When the mine is to be put into operation, the safety wire is removed and a burying plug is screwed into the hole in the cap to make the assembly waterproof. A thick tarry substance is applied to-the seams around the end caps probably for the same purpose."
This mine was often placed on top of an aircraft bomb as seen in this footage where what is most likely a 63kg bomb was buried underneath. The mine alone would break a track and could potentially cause some injuries among the crew, however the bomb contained about 28kg of high explosive that was enough to destroy the vehicle entirely. Several disabled Sherman tanks can be seen in the area as a testament to the effectiveness of such defenses. Once rendered safe, ordnance would typically be loaded onto landing craft and dumped into the sea.
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Пікірлер: 15

@bwilliams463 Ай бұрын

My grandfather was a Sherman tank commander on Iwo Jima, and he lost his first tank and two of his crew to what he believed was one of these buried bombs. He was sure of it because it basically ripped the tank in half, which no Japanese conventional mine could do. His column was travelling down a cleared lane through a minefield when the lead tank was hit by artillery. Grandpa's CO ordered him to leave the safe lane and drive around it, and as soon as they put a track over the marking tapes, the buried bomb destroyed the Sherman, killing the driver and co-driver and firing Grandpa out of the commander's hatch. The commander was later fragged, but I firmly believe Grandpa had nothing to do with it. He was a devoted man of God.

@patrickancona1193 Ай бұрын

My Grandpa may or may not have fragged a couple incompetent butter bars who refused to listen to the men, there’s very good reasons NCO’s began running things after a couple hops, replacements learned really quickly to stfu about theory & listen

@pawepluta4883 Ай бұрын

Had he, or had he not - the devoted men of God are most likely to do such things, because they usually believe that whatever they do they act as the God's tool.

@bwilliams463 Ай бұрын

@@pawepluta4883 I won't say it's impossible, but he was also the only man this CO would pick to escort him forwards for recon, because he knew that any of the other Marines under his command would probably shoot him in the back. Or so Grandpa told me.

@Conradlovesjoy Ай бұрын

“Co-driver?”

@thischannelisbackon5679 Ай бұрын

Your grandpa survived being in a Sherman on Iwo Jima that blown up so bad it cut in 2?