australian clam mine

[kiwieod]

heres some more info to add to the clam mine confusion
got this australian training manual dated 1982 and was very surprised to see that they still had the clam mine in stores
according to the measurements it is the MKII clam filled with COMP B(or unfilled)they have called it an M3 clam
some interesting questions
-was australia loading these with COMP B ?
-what are the markings on these?
-are there any photos of this actual mine?
-australian army must of had large stocks of this mine for them to appear in a manual,do they still have them,what happened to them?
anybody know any former aussie engineers who may remember them

 

[millsbomber]

AE501 was still using them in the Northern Ireland conflicts, he did tell me a story that one of his colleagues had to remove a roller shutter door on a Luton van as was suspected device inside, a clam was chosen for the job, made ready, full EOD suit adorned, area cleared, Bills colleague run up the the van slapped the clam on and immediately it fell off, the shutter was aluminium.

 

[kiwieod]

thats a great story,i bet they all had a good laugh about that after!interesting to know brits still using them as well
do they appear in any manuals?

 

[MINENAZ16]

Hello Kiwieod,

Maybe this picture could help.
The right mine M3 is fitted with 8 magnets same as the first mine on the second picture (Bocn) called Mk1 plastic Aka MkII.

 

[kiwieod]

minenaz16,i thought that it might be this M3,but this one is supplied loaded(CY 44,chorley 1944)and it has the TNT markings on it
so australia certainly wouldnt have ww2 loaded clams still in stores in 1982

 

[millsbomber]

Hello Kiwieod,

Maybe this picture could help.
The right mine M3 is fitted with 8 magnets same as the first mine on the second picture (Bocn) called Mk1 plastic Aka MkII.

View attachment 177837

View attachment 177838

The Clam Mk3 as first picture ( right) i personally have found many examples in collections in Australia and New Zealand
Second picture second from right is UK Russian export example.
what make the others SOE i dont know, the only one that could have been exclusively SOE and Aux Units is missing which is the tin one, of cause SOE used them but clams were a general store used by every one.

 

[Ivashkin]

Second picture second from right is UK Russian export example.

After WW2 copy of this mine got index MPM (МПМ) and in service in ex-ussr till now. Would be strange, if Clam Mk III out of service, as for me.
Also from UK to USSR exported Clam Mk I with body made of tin. But Clam Mk II and Mk III too, but difference not only in magnets, but in shape of body too and would be better to show two photos. During war all of them in USSR called MMM (МММ, Малая Магнитная Мина) with no explanation about differences among them. Just MMM and papers and that's all.

 

[WWIIBuff]

The Clam Mk3 as first picture ( right) i personally have found many examples in collections in Australia and New Zealand
Second picture second from right is UK Russian export example.
what make the others SOE i dont know, the only one that could have been exclusively SOE and Aux Units is missing which is the tin one, of cause SOE used them but clams were a general store used by every one.

Hey Dave, What are the differences between the second example from the right in the second picture that you have stated is the UK Russian export model, and the one in the center marked as a Mk.II? To me that look pretty much the same, how do you tell the difference?

I thought the Mk.I Plastic (aka Mk.II) was strictly for SOE use, or was that only in the beginning and then it was opened to general stores later?

 

[WWIIBuff]

Hello Kiwieod,

Maybe this picture could help.
The right mine M3 is fitted with 8 magnets same as the first mine on the second picture (Bocn) called Mk1 plastic Aka MkII.

View attachment 177837

View attachment 177838

So another model I need to find for my collection, the Mk.III with 8 magnets. :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[millsbomber]

Hey Dave, What are the differences between the second example from the right in the second picture that you have stated is the UK Russian export model, and the one in the center marked as a Mk.II? To me that look pretty much the same, how do you tell the difference?

I thought the Mk.I Plastic (aka Mk.II) was strictly for SOE use, or was that only in the beginning and then it was opened to general stores later?

Well i dont have papers to say SOE only could use them but the home guard Aux units were the first to get this type of stuff straight from MD1.

Now the export to Russia has markings as picture left, made by MD1



here is another view from top and what i call the New Zealand Clam right





New Zealand Clam left



Tin Clam



Post war special forces.



Modern day



The pictures MINENAZ posted are from my website, the New Zealand 1 on right was from Hugh Hurst collection which disappeared when he died, it was a real shame losing Hugh and his collection.

 

[WWIIBuff]

Now the export to Russia has markings as picture left, made by MD1

View attachment 177873

Thanks Dave. The one from my collection that MINENAZ16 posted with the Russian export marking on the bottom, does NOT have the M.D.1. marking on the end like your example, but I assume that is not unusual. The interesting thing is that all of my Clam Mines (except the O.S.S. example) came out of France, including the Russian export Mk.II.

One thing I noticed about the Russian export Mk.II is that the metal material used for the magnets seems to be a bit inferior when compared to the magnets on the regular issue Mk.II clams. Or maybe they just weren't machined smooth.