Mines of Fort Wagner (1863)

[Ivashkin]

[FONT=&amp]During USA Civilian War in 1861-65 were used few types of antipersonnel, antivehicle and sea mines. Some of them are describing in book of Mark Croll “The history of landmines”, but not all. About sea mines could be write special book, because during this war were using a lot types of those mines.[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
Mines, which are describing below, were using during siege on Fort Wagner in 1863. You can read and on Wikipedia about that during this siege used mines, but which exactly? I think my short article will help with information about it and will be interesting for BOCN.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]I`ve used Russian sources for this article. But aren`t Soviet sources. I`ve used special old (printed in 1867 and based on some original English speaking article from UK, but if somebody needs I`ll try to fined number and name) engineering magazines of Russian Imperia.[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
Mines used for covering around artillery position.
[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]After captured of fort, northerners found more as 60 mines, which burred on glacis and ahead it, ahead sought front of Fort Wagner. Most numbers of mines found on small line ahead front of fort. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]In total, southerners around Fort Wagner used three types of antipersonal mines. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
The first sample consists of 24-pound artillery grenade, in side of which install wooden cork (it has through longitudinal hole). Through this hole, in powder of grenade, installed thick tube, which has expansion on the end like ball. In this “ball” placed igniter powder. This grenade puts in cylindrical box made of tin and colored in black. On bottom of box placed wooden bar. Mine placed in ground (hole up) and igniter powder was on one line with ground. Small presser activated mine.[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
The second sample consists of wooden barrel of 10 gallons, in the bottom and top lid of which installs floats made of oak and few fuzes (see picture).[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
This mines were produced a large numbers.
[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]Fuze and details you can see on the picture.[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]Mine installed with wooden board: one side of board based on blasting cap and another on ground. Some mines instead of board used iron cap with three-pronged activator (I think like on USA pressure fuze M1A1).[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
Pressure on wooden board (or one of pronged activator) gets down blasting cap and ignite powder activate and mine blow up.[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
This mined disarmed very simple — drill small hole and through this hole put water and after little time mine was disarmed. In such of this method were disarmed about 30 mines. Although, in mines (body or fuze) were shooting sniper and powder after small time was wet or mine detonated. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
Mine produced by a small alterations of sea mines, which in large numbers placed in Charleston bay. In sea mine were five and more fuzes. This mine is dangerous and for person who placed it. On[/FONT][FONT=&amp]this[/FONT][FONT=&amp]mine[/FONT][FONT=&amp]blew[/FONT][FONT=&amp]up[/FONT][FONT=&amp]sank[/FONT][FONT=&amp]monitor[/FONT][FONT=&amp] “[/FONT][FONT=&amp]Patapsco[/FONT][FONT=&amp]”.
[/FONT] [FONT=&amp]The third sample of mine consists of 15-inches sea bombs, placed like and mines of first sample and supplied fuze like and the second mines. Found only three mines of third sample. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]
First victim of mines was Cpl. of third regiment of black mans. It[/FONT][FONT=&amp]was[/FONT][FONT=&amp] 26 [/FONT][FONT=&amp]of[/FONT][FONT=&amp]August[/FONT][FONT=&amp]. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]27 of August northerners found 8 mines. They were disarmed – grab by rope and throw to pit, where they detonated. [/FONT] [FONT=&amp]Northerners casualties was around no more 12 mans. In another source talks died 12 southerners, who placed this mines in ground. [/FONT]

 

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Sir;
I assume you are referring to the Confederate land mines placed around Battery Wagner on Morris Island at the right of Charleston, South Carolna harbor.
These were converted 24 pdr spherical shells using a chemical pressure sensitive fuse as shown below.
Regards,
John

 

[Ivashkin]

Sir;
I assume you are referring to the Confederate land mines placed around Battery Wagner on Morris Island at the right of Charleston, South Carolna harbor.
These were converted 24 pdr spherical shells using a chemical pressure sensitive fuse as shown below.
Regards,
John

Yes, John, I think it was mine like on your picture.
And pictures, because I went to sleep yesterday :tinysmile_tongue_t:
Cutway

Fuze

Placed

[FONT=&amp]Three-pronged activator[/FONT]

And original sea mine (few versions)

Unfortunatly some pictures aren`t in good quality, but I`ll try to make them better (make scan again). And don`t ask me how I got those original pictures :tinysmile_classes_t

 

[Ivashkin]

And New Year enigma.
Does anybody know what the mine is it? :tinysmile_classes_t This mine used during Civilian War in USA.

 

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Sir:
I am not familiar with the last mine you posted. Several of the ones prior to your last post is the Bushnell Keg mine. Below is another example of the Confederate"s use of artillery projectiles as land or sea mines. The shell below was bolted to an underwaer spar and using the Rains pressure fuse was an inexpensive method of producing mines.
In constrast, during WWII the Japanese buried artillery projectiles with PD fuzes to serve as land mines.
Regares,
John

 

[Ivashkin]

Sir:
I am not familiar with the last mine you posted. Several of the ones prior to your last post is the Bushnell Keg mine. Below is another example of the Confederate"s use of artillery projectiles as land or sea mines. The shell below was bolted to an underwaer spar and using the Rains pressure fuse was an inexpensive method of producing mines.
Regares,
John

Yes, I know this mine on your picture. It`s sea mine During this war produced a lot of interesting mines, but then forgot about them.

 

[Bellifortis]

Hi Ivashkin,
thank you for posting these nice pictures. I would very much like to know the original sources of these pictures. For many years I'm researching the history of land mines. Mike Croll in his very nice book places the origion of land mines in Germany in the 16th-17th century. As a source he quotes the book "Der vollkommene Teutsche Soldat" from 1726. I purchased this heavy and expensive volume as a beautiful reprint only because of Croll's writings. But, there is absolutely no proof whatshowever in it. All the mines described were manually ignited on the approach of the enemy (the so called "Fladderminen" quoted and requoted in many other resaerchers articles about this subject). The first land mine with a victim actuated fuse are US civil war vintage, with the "Rains Fuse", according to my research. There are quite a few civil war mines described in Jack Bell's "Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance" and the first understandable description of the Rains Fuse and its function I found in Charles H. Jones "Artillery Fuses of the Civil War". Please be so nice as to tell me the titles and publisher information, so that I'm able to purchase the books you quoted from.
With kind regards,
Bellifortis.

 

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Sir;
you can purchase Jack Bell's book at: It is the book I was reffering to.

http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Hea...90&sr=8-14&keywords=Heavy+Civil+War+Artillery

Regards,
John

 

[Ivashkin]

Sir;
you can purchase Jack Bell's book at: It is the book I was reffering to.

http://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Hea...90&sr=8-14&keywords=Heavy+Civil+War+Artillery

Regards,
John

John,
Nice book. very interesting how many mines (sea, antipersonal, sabotage) in this book?

 

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Ivan,
I don't have it with me but it is primarily an artillery book and has torpedoes and mines at the back. It is an excellant book on ACW artillery.
Regards,
John

 

[Bellifortis]

Hallo John and Ivan,
the book has 537 pages, mostly about artillery rounds and only pages 471-496 covers Torpedoes (mines): 3 Underground Torpedos (land mines), 15 anchored and floating Torpedoes (sea mines) and 4 Spar Torpedoes. I bought the book about 11 years ago. My studies on Civil War mines were apruptly stopped about 10 years ago, by the refusal of US sellers to sell to foreigners. I'm a foreigner in nearly the whole of the world, only not in the tiny piece called Germany. For half a century I have had great admiration for the US freedom of information policy. In Germany, up to this day, we have no freedom of information act. I find it a great pity, that at times, where the east is opening up, the west is buttoning down. May be John, you can be of help to me. There were 3 background technical studies that I was looking for : 1.) J.S. Barnes "Submarine Warfare", New York, 1869 2.) W.R.King "Torpedoes: Their Invention and Use , From the first application to the Art of War to the present time" Washington,1866 3.) Lieutenant Commander Royal B.Bradford, U.S.N.,"History of Torpedo Warfare" Newport, R.I., 1882
As far as I remember, it was only the 3rd one that I found on the net, as a reprint, with a company, that had a policy of not selling to foreigners.
With kind regards,
Bellifortis.

 

[jayteepee_1999]

CIVIL WAR ERA CONFEDERATE TORPEDO

Filler Type and Weight
Main Filler: 65 pounds of Black Powder

Body Type and Weight
The Confederate Torpedo has a large wood body fitted with metal fuze pockets. The body measures 42 inches long with a diameter of 14 inches.
Source
Heavy Artillery Projectiles of the Civil War 1861-1865, Kerksis & Dickey
Description
With no means of propulsion, the Confederate Torpedo was designed as a floating munition that was moored into place. Contact fuzes were fitted to the body through metal fuze pockets which were used to set off the 65 pound charge of black powder packed inside the large wooden body. Typical fuze designs included contact fuzes which functioned when the mine was hit by a ship or vessel. The Confederate Torpedos proved to be effective at creating massive damage to ships.

Yes, John, I think it was mine like on your picture.
And pictures, because I went to sleep yesterday :tinysmile_tongue_t:
Cutway
View attachment 73858
Fuze
View attachment 73859
Placed
View attachment 73860
[FONT=&]Three-pronged activator[/FONT]
View attachment 73861
And original sea mine (few versions)
View attachment 73862
Unfortunatly some pictures aren`t in good quality, but I`ll try to make them better (make scan again). And don`t ask me how I got those original pictures :tinysmile_classes_t

 

[Bellifortis]

Hallo all of you technical history loving people,
is there anybody that can give me a hint where to find/purchase the 3 books that I noted in my last post ? Any hint would be most helpful, as I mentioned before, my studies on civil war mines came to a halt because I can not access these most important source literature.
Wishing you all a successful 2013 in Good Health,
I remain with kind regards,
Bellifortis.

 

[Bellifortis]

Thanks ti Ivashkin I was able to trace the book by N.R.King as a free download on the net and the book by J.S. Barnes as a reprint, which I just ordered. It's amazing how much information has been added in the net in the short span of 10 years. I even found some other available reprints that I had not heard about before, like a book by Raines, the inventor of the Rains fuse. While perusing Kings book I found a chapter about european mine developments. King writes that at the battle of Sevastopol influence actuated land mines were used by the Russians in their defences. That (1854) is the earliest appearance of a pressure actuated land mine that I can trace.
Bellifortis

 

[Ivashkin]

King writes that at the battle of Sevastopol influence actuated land mines were used by the Russians in their defences. That (1854) is the earliest appearance of a pressure actuated land mine that I can trace.
Bellifortis

Do you know what is the most inetresting in this? Any russian old book (I have very rare book of 1864 year about undeground mines in Sevastopol) about defence of Sevastopol doesn`t tell about useing land mines. In old (1870-th) russian article, which I have too, talks about it, but link talks that this information from USA book and any russian books don`t have anything about those mines. Probably it true, but only on foreing sources. Found only few mines.
Mmm meanwhile, does anyone know who invited method of placeing mines in chequerwise? :tinysmile_shy_t:

 

[Sir Roger]

Go over to archive.org. There are many 19th century books on the subject. Keyword is "torpedoes". It's an incredible resource, but the search engine really sucks. The addition or subtraction of an "s" can get you different results. Any munitions related words should get you something you'll like.

 

[vinnyw]

Hi Ivashkin,
thank you for posting these nice pictures. I would very much like to know the original sources of these pictures. For many years I'm researching the history of land mines. Mike Croll in his very nice book places the origion of land mines in Germany in the 16th-17th century. As a source he quotes the book "Der vollkommene Teutsche Soldat" from 1726. I purchased this heavy and expensive volume as a beautiful reprint only because of Croll's writings. But, there is absolutely no proof whatshowever in it. All the mines described were manually ignited on the approach of the enemy (the so called "Fladderminen" quoted and requoted in many other resaerchers articles about this subject). The first land mine with a victim actuated fuse are US civil war vintage, with the "Rains Fuse", according to my research. There are quite a few civil war mines described in Jack Bell's "Civil War Heavy Explosive Ordnance" and the first understandable description of the Rains Fuse and its function I found in Charles H. Jones "Artillery Fuses of the Civil War". Please be so nice as to tell me the titles and publisher information, so that I'm able to purchase the books you quoted from.
With kind regards,
Bellifortis.

rpedoes
Hello this is a interesting post. There is some information on ( submarine mines and torpedoes )in a 1907 U.S. manual ,ordnance and gunnery,it is the history starting with ,David Bushnell 1775.Says the confederates came up with the first successfull mines during the U.S. civil war sinking or badly damaging over 30 U.S. ships.I might be able to get a copy on line if there is any interest,or if you live in the U.S. you can buy one.I left the information in one of my post about a month ago.
vinny

 

[Bellifortis]

Do you know what is the most inetresting in this? Any russian old book (I have very rare book of 1864 year about undeground mines in Sevastopol) about defence of Sevastopol doesn`t tell about useing land mines. In old (1870-th) russian article, which I have too, talks about it, but link talks that this information from USA book and any russian books don`t have anything about those mines. Probably it true, but only on foreing sources. Found only few mines.
Mmm meanwhile, does anyone know who invited method of placeing mines in chequerwise? :tinysmile_shy_t:

Hi Ivan,
I just found "Report on the Art of war in Europe" by Maj.Delafield, 1860, as a free download on archive.org This is the original report that King and others quote from in their books. The antiquarian original you can purchase for around 300 $ , the reprint for 25. The description of the russian landmines, which Delafield says were completely new at the time (1855) at Sevastopol, are described on page 109. It is a very nice book. Have a look, you will like it.
Greetings,
Bellifortis.

 

[Ivashkin]

Hi Ivan,
I just found "Report on the Art of war in Europe" by Maj.Delafield, 1860, as a free download on archive.org This is the original report that King and others quote from in their books. The antiquarian original you can purchase for around 300 $ , the reprint for 25. The description of the russian landmines, which Delafield says were completely new at the time (1855) at Sevastopol, are described on page 109. It is a very nice book. Have a look, you will like it.
Greetings,
Bellifortis.

Thanks, Belifors for good information.
I`ll write about this mine in my book, but unfortunatly nobody in Russian hasn`t told about land-mines in Sevastopol.
I see only one reason - definitely it was "home made" and only few examples, which and found french.

 

[Bellifortis]

Cronstadt & Sevastopol mines

Hallo Ivan,
today the book reprint "Submarine Warfare, Offensive And Defensive", J.S.Barnes 1869, that I ordered in January, has at last arrived. Even for the price of 22,60 Euro it's worth it's money. It's a treasure trove if you are interested in the history of mines. I attach a foto of the article about Russia. I have seen the name of Professor Jacobi (an eminent russian chemist and philsopher) mentioned in other books before. He seems to be the inventor of the Sulfuric acid-Chlorate-Shugar fuse. You must have come across this name in your research. In the discussion about the finnish delay action fuze (iron wire-Sulfuric acid)a few days ago, I also asked about your valued opinion about it's first appearance. What do your historical sources have to say ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.