Cutaway model of a (post WW2) Russian TM-62M anti tank mine. The mine consists of a sheet steel ring shaped body , painted olive. The fuze used in this mine is the VM-62, a pressure fuze. When unarmed, the firing pin mechanism with attached firing cap are rotated in a horizontal position, so the mine is unable to function. The firing pin mechanism exists of a upper (A) and lower (B) housing which telescope in one another. They are fixed in position by two shear pins (C). The upper housing contains the firing pin (D), held in it’s upper –spring (E) tensioned – position by two balls (F). These two balls are placed in the lower fuze body. When the upper and lower body are pushed in one another, the balls fall into a groove in the upper body , enabeling the balls to move outward and release the firing pin. The lower housing also houses the firing cap (G). The firing pin mechanism is held in horizontal position by a camwheel (H) that is connected to a gearbox (J) with a clock spring (K) that slowly rotates the camwheel. The camwheel has a slot (L) in which the firing pin mechanism fits, allowing the firing pin mechanism to rotate in the vertical position if it falls in the slot of the camwheel. After the mine is laid, the button (M) on top of the fuze is pressed, after which the camwheel is released and slowly starts rotating. This gives a 60 to 70 seconds delay so no accidents can happen during covering of the mine.
If a tank or heavy vehicle drives over the bakelite pressure plate (N) of the mine it will push it down and compress the firing pin mechanism between the aluminium plate (O) inside the bakelite pressure plate and the primary booster charge (P), up till the moment the two shear pins (C) are sheared off. The upper firing pin housing moves further down, releasing the two balls that lock up the firing pin. The firing pin moves down into the firing cap (G) which ignites the primary booster (P), the main booster charge and the mine.
The mine can be defuzed again by removing the black rubber cap (R ) on top of the fuze under which a keyhole is placed. By placing the key and rotating this clockwise the camwheel is rotated backward, rotating the firing pin mechanism from vertical to horizontal again, disarming the mine. This however is allowed only for an undamaged fuze.
The mines can be laid manually or automatically from a mine laying machine including the PMR-1, PMR-2 wheeled towed mine layers, the GMZ tracked mine laying vehicle and the VMR-2 helicopter mine laying system.In a static test, the TM-62M proved capable of penetrating the hull of a Centurion tank
Data for the Tm-62M anti tank mine :
Diameter : 314 mm
Height with / without fuze : 115 / 80 mm
Weight of the mine : 9,5 kg
Weight of the explosive charge : 7 kg of TNT
Operation pressure : between 150 and 550 Kg
As the mine contains large amounts of metal it can easily be found with a metal detector.
Regards, DJH
If a tank or heavy vehicle drives over the bakelite pressure plate (N) of the mine it will push it down and compress the firing pin mechanism between the aluminium plate (O) inside the bakelite pressure plate and the primary booster charge (P), up till the moment the two shear pins (C) are sheared off. The upper firing pin housing moves further down, releasing the two balls that lock up the firing pin. The firing pin moves down into the firing cap (G) which ignites the primary booster (P), the main booster charge and the mine.
The mine can be defuzed again by removing the black rubber cap (R ) on top of the fuze under which a keyhole is placed. By placing the key and rotating this clockwise the camwheel is rotated backward, rotating the firing pin mechanism from vertical to horizontal again, disarming the mine. This however is allowed only for an undamaged fuze.
The mines can be laid manually or automatically from a mine laying machine including the PMR-1, PMR-2 wheeled towed mine layers, the GMZ tracked mine laying vehicle and the VMR-2 helicopter mine laying system.In a static test, the TM-62M proved capable of penetrating the hull of a Centurion tank
Data for the Tm-62M anti tank mine :
Diameter : 314 mm
Height with / without fuze : 115 / 80 mm
Weight of the mine : 9,5 kg
Weight of the explosive charge : 7 kg of TNT
Operation pressure : between 150 and 550 Kg
As the mine contains large amounts of metal it can easily be found with a metal detector.
Regards, DJH
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