Cutaway model of a PROM-1 bounding anti personel mine. The Mine is of Yugoslav design and manufacturing and was used extensively during the 1990’s Balkan wars. Functioning of this bottle shaped mine is broadly similar to the German S-mines, exept for the fact that the S-mine is launched from a cup and the PROM-1 is launched from a spigot after shearing of five brass screws.
Build up of the mine:
The mine exists of a cast iron body with five radial grooves cut in the inside of the body to form an even distribution of fragments. In the base of the body a rimmed steel flange is placed which is connected to the body by means of an externally double threaded connection pipe that keeps the two parts together. The internal fuze that detonates the mine is also screwed into the base flange.
To this rimmed steel flange the launching flange is connected with five brass screws. A steel pipe which fits in the connection pipe is screwed into the base flange and also houses a three grams black powder expulsion charge. These two telescoped pipes form the launching spigot for the mine. A small brass cup is placed i.w.o the gas ports of the lower part of the spigot pipe; this to keep the mine internally moisture free.
The fuze IN the mine exist of a brass housing in which the detonator , the firing cap housing with firing cap , the firing pin and the pull wire are placed. Above the detonator a small booster charge , existing of three pellets Penthrite is placed. These booster pellets are placed in a cartboard tube in the main explosive charge.
Fuze UPROM-1:
The fuze used ON the mine is the UPROM-1, a pressure and tilt switch. The firing pin is kept in position by a brass sleeve with three holes (120 degrees each) in which balls are placed that fall in a recess in the firing pin. A steel outer sleeve fits tight around the brass sleeve , forcing the balls inward, locking up the firing pin. This outer sleeve has an internal groove, which allows the balls to move outward and releases the firing pin. A spring between the firing pin and the outer sleeve however keeps the outer sleeve in it’s upward position. On top of this mechanism the lever and prongs mechanism is placed, the part that activates the mine.
Functioning of the mine:
If someone steps on one of the four prongs (pushing them straight downward), either activates the trip wires (tilting the prong part of the fuze), the outer (steel) sleeve is pressed or levered down, releasing the balls into the groove of the outer steel sleeve, so releasing the firing pin to move down into the firing cap. The flame of the firing cap moves down into the expulsion charge which ignites. The gas of the expulsion charge moves the brass cup locking the gas ports down, allowing the space between the base flange and the launching flange to fill with high pressure gas up till the moment the five brass screws are sheared off and the mine is projected upward.
The lower cup –to which the pull wire of the mine is connected stays behind in the launching flange , so tensioning the wire. If the wire is on the end of it’s length , the firing cap is pulled downward INTO the fixed firing pin, exploding the firing cap, detonator, booster charge and the main charge of the mine. The mine will explode at approximately 65cm above the ground.
A collar safety ring is placed around the stem of the prongs to prevent the prongs from any tilt or downward movement, rendering the mine safe. Once placed the mine cannot be disarmed as the fuze UPROM-1 deteriorates in time –and becomes more sensitive- due to weather influences. Preferably it is cleared by placing an explosive charge beside it and blow it up in situ . The mine can easily be found with a metal detector as it is mainly made of steel, however keep in mind to keep the search spool at least a foot above the ground as not to activate the tilt switch or trip wires.
Data:
Weight of PROM-1: 3 kg
Weight explosive charge : 425 grams of Comp.B or pure TNT.
Colour : green over all, fuze UPROM-1 is found in green and ocre yellow.
Diameter : 75mm
Length of mine with fuze: 263mm
Length of mine without fuze: 160mm
Operating pressure /pull: 9 to 16 kg pressure, 3 to 5 kg pull (tilt)
Length of trip wire : usually approximately 6 mtrs.
Lethal radius : The mine projects lethal fragments up to 100 mtrs radius, is potentially lethal up to 50 mtrs and lethal up to 30 mtrs.
The PROM-1 has been found in : Angola, Bosnia, Chile, Croatia, Eritrea, Iraq, Kosovo, Mozambique and Namibia.
Build up of the mine:
The mine exists of a cast iron body with five radial grooves cut in the inside of the body to form an even distribution of fragments. In the base of the body a rimmed steel flange is placed which is connected to the body by means of an externally double threaded connection pipe that keeps the two parts together. The internal fuze that detonates the mine is also screwed into the base flange.
To this rimmed steel flange the launching flange is connected with five brass screws. A steel pipe which fits in the connection pipe is screwed into the base flange and also houses a three grams black powder expulsion charge. These two telescoped pipes form the launching spigot for the mine. A small brass cup is placed i.w.o the gas ports of the lower part of the spigot pipe; this to keep the mine internally moisture free.
The fuze IN the mine exist of a brass housing in which the detonator , the firing cap housing with firing cap , the firing pin and the pull wire are placed. Above the detonator a small booster charge , existing of three pellets Penthrite is placed. These booster pellets are placed in a cartboard tube in the main explosive charge.
Fuze UPROM-1:
The fuze used ON the mine is the UPROM-1, a pressure and tilt switch. The firing pin is kept in position by a brass sleeve with three holes (120 degrees each) in which balls are placed that fall in a recess in the firing pin. A steel outer sleeve fits tight around the brass sleeve , forcing the balls inward, locking up the firing pin. This outer sleeve has an internal groove, which allows the balls to move outward and releases the firing pin. A spring between the firing pin and the outer sleeve however keeps the outer sleeve in it’s upward position. On top of this mechanism the lever and prongs mechanism is placed, the part that activates the mine.
Functioning of the mine:
If someone steps on one of the four prongs (pushing them straight downward), either activates the trip wires (tilting the prong part of the fuze), the outer (steel) sleeve is pressed or levered down, releasing the balls into the groove of the outer steel sleeve, so releasing the firing pin to move down into the firing cap. The flame of the firing cap moves down into the expulsion charge which ignites. The gas of the expulsion charge moves the brass cup locking the gas ports down, allowing the space between the base flange and the launching flange to fill with high pressure gas up till the moment the five brass screws are sheared off and the mine is projected upward.
The lower cup –to which the pull wire of the mine is connected stays behind in the launching flange , so tensioning the wire. If the wire is on the end of it’s length , the firing cap is pulled downward INTO the fixed firing pin, exploding the firing cap, detonator, booster charge and the main charge of the mine. The mine will explode at approximately 65cm above the ground.
A collar safety ring is placed around the stem of the prongs to prevent the prongs from any tilt or downward movement, rendering the mine safe. Once placed the mine cannot be disarmed as the fuze UPROM-1 deteriorates in time –and becomes more sensitive- due to weather influences. Preferably it is cleared by placing an explosive charge beside it and blow it up in situ . The mine can easily be found with a metal detector as it is mainly made of steel, however keep in mind to keep the search spool at least a foot above the ground as not to activate the tilt switch or trip wires.
Data:
Weight of PROM-1: 3 kg
Weight explosive charge : 425 grams of Comp.B or pure TNT.
Colour : green over all, fuze UPROM-1 is found in green and ocre yellow.
Diameter : 75mm
Length of mine with fuze: 263mm
Length of mine without fuze: 160mm
Operating pressure /pull: 9 to 16 kg pressure, 3 to 5 kg pull (tilt)
Length of trip wire : usually approximately 6 mtrs.
Lethal radius : The mine projects lethal fragments up to 100 mtrs radius, is potentially lethal up to 50 mtrs and lethal up to 30 mtrs.
The PROM-1 has been found in : Angola, Bosnia, Chile, Croatia, Eritrea, Iraq, Kosovo, Mozambique and Namibia.
