Cutaway model of a Valmara 69 bounding mine.
The Valmara 69 (V69) is an Italian produced bounding anti-personel mine that jumps up 40 cm from under the ground before detonating. The Valmara V69 was designed and produced by Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, however the company stopped producing the mine in 1994, and stopped producing mines completely when the Ottawa threaty was signed by Italy in 1997.
The Valmara 69 consists of a pvc housing in which a steel launching pot is placed. Between this pot and the actual mine -placed in the steel launching pot- a 44cm long steel wire is placed. Therefore, the mine does not detonate at waist height -as is often claimed- but approximately 40cm above the ground, just below knee height. The mine itself consists of an aluminium outer bushing with a steel flange in top, and a steel “hat” in the base, both secured in place by means of a roll crimp. On the inside of both the flange and the hat a groove is machined in which an aluminium cage with a hole pattern is placed. Between this cage and the aluminium outer skin of the mine appr 1200 pieces of chopped steel 5x5x5mm are placed, forming the splinters of the mine. The holes in the inner aluminium cage enshure the splinters are cast in with the explosives when cast.
In the center of the mine a white nylon bushing is placed in which the fuze is placed -in top- by means of a twist lock. In this bushing there is a hole in the middle in which a -also white nylon- centerpiece is placed, housing the firing pin and the ignition flame pipe for the expulsion charge. To the base of this centerpiece, the steel wire is connedcted by means of a steel link piece. The nylon centerpiece can move up- and down in the nylon bushing, and is forced to rotate during this movement, as a notch on the centerpiece slides through a cam path in the hole of the bushing.
The white nylon centerpiece -housing the firing pin- has another striking detail ; to enable placing the duplex donator in the explosive charge a half round cut out is made in the centerpiece above the hole for the duplex detonator. However, this means the firing pin cannot be placed in line. Therefore the notch and the cam path are incorperated in the design; as soon as the mine jumps from the launching pot, and the centerpiece is pulled downward by the steel wire, the centerpiece is forced to rotate so the firing pin rotates in line with the duplex detonator just before it is pulled in the duplex detonator, exploding the mine.
The fuze consists of a green plastic lower fuze part with a pipe pice in the center in which the spring loaded firing pin is placed. The firing pin has a circular groove in top in which three steel balls are placed. The steel balls are placed in a brass cage with a lifting eye in top. The cage and the balls are placed in a brass ring that is cast in the lower fuze part and keeps the balls forced inward and the firing pin fixated in the spring loaded condition. On top of the lower fuze part a black plactic half sphere is placed on the top rim of the lower fuze part, covered with a sheet metal half sphere with four pronges brassed to it. The fifth pronge is screwed into the center of the black plastic half sphere and has a hook brassed to the base, connected with the lifting eye on the brass cage. Stepping upon the outer pronges, or with sideways pulling of the center pronge by means of a trip wire, this will rotate the plastic sphere half over the upper rim of the lower fuze body, lifting the cage with the three steel balls upward, allowing the steel balls to move outward, releasing the firing pin. This will ignite the flame pipe for the expulsion charge which ignites the main expulsion charge placed in the hollow nut in the base of the mine. This will launch the mine from the launching pot, shattering the plastic ring nut in top of the mine housing.
As both the duplex detonator and the ignition flame pipe for the expulsion charge have to be inserted before the mine is placed -and both look alike- , both have a different colour on the firing cap side; The duplex detonator is coloured yellow in top, the ignition flame pipe is coloured black in top.
The predecessor of the V69 bounding mine was the V59 bounding mine, nearly identical in functioning, however nearly completely made of metal. By using more plastic components the V69 was cheaper to produce and was watertight for a longer period. The V69 was followed up by the VS-Jap (Jumping Anti Personel). This mine contained even more plastic parts and had a striking facetted outer casing, and a three plastic pronged fuze.
Data V69:
Weight : 3,2 kg
Weight explosive charge : 0,42 Kg Comp.B (RDX/TNT)
Diameter (over top cover) : 130 mm
Total height (including pronge) : 205 mm
Height mine body : 123 mm.
Operating pressure / pull : 10 kg on outer pronges , 6 kg pull on central pronge
Lethal radius : 25 mtrs, (dangerous up to at least 50 mtrs).
The mine is produced in the colours sand yellow and olive green.
The mine is found in the following countries :
Angola, Egypt, Iraq, Kurdistan, Kuwait, Mozambique, Sudan, Western Sahara.
Regards, DJH
The Valmara 69 (V69) is an Italian produced bounding anti-personel mine that jumps up 40 cm from under the ground before detonating. The Valmara V69 was designed and produced by Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, however the company stopped producing the mine in 1994, and stopped producing mines completely when the Ottawa threaty was signed by Italy in 1997.
The Valmara 69 consists of a pvc housing in which a steel launching pot is placed. Between this pot and the actual mine -placed in the steel launching pot- a 44cm long steel wire is placed. Therefore, the mine does not detonate at waist height -as is often claimed- but approximately 40cm above the ground, just below knee height. The mine itself consists of an aluminium outer bushing with a steel flange in top, and a steel “hat” in the base, both secured in place by means of a roll crimp. On the inside of both the flange and the hat a groove is machined in which an aluminium cage with a hole pattern is placed. Between this cage and the aluminium outer skin of the mine appr 1200 pieces of chopped steel 5x5x5mm are placed, forming the splinters of the mine. The holes in the inner aluminium cage enshure the splinters are cast in with the explosives when cast.
In the center of the mine a white nylon bushing is placed in which the fuze is placed -in top- by means of a twist lock. In this bushing there is a hole in the middle in which a -also white nylon- centerpiece is placed, housing the firing pin and the ignition flame pipe for the expulsion charge. To the base of this centerpiece, the steel wire is connedcted by means of a steel link piece. The nylon centerpiece can move up- and down in the nylon bushing, and is forced to rotate during this movement, as a notch on the centerpiece slides through a cam path in the hole of the bushing.
The white nylon centerpiece -housing the firing pin- has another striking detail ; to enable placing the duplex donator in the explosive charge a half round cut out is made in the centerpiece above the hole for the duplex detonator. However, this means the firing pin cannot be placed in line. Therefore the notch and the cam path are incorperated in the design; as soon as the mine jumps from the launching pot, and the centerpiece is pulled downward by the steel wire, the centerpiece is forced to rotate so the firing pin rotates in line with the duplex detonator just before it is pulled in the duplex detonator, exploding the mine.
The fuze consists of a green plastic lower fuze part with a pipe pice in the center in which the spring loaded firing pin is placed. The firing pin has a circular groove in top in which three steel balls are placed. The steel balls are placed in a brass cage with a lifting eye in top. The cage and the balls are placed in a brass ring that is cast in the lower fuze part and keeps the balls forced inward and the firing pin fixated in the spring loaded condition. On top of the lower fuze part a black plactic half sphere is placed on the top rim of the lower fuze part, covered with a sheet metal half sphere with four pronges brassed to it. The fifth pronge is screwed into the center of the black plastic half sphere and has a hook brassed to the base, connected with the lifting eye on the brass cage. Stepping upon the outer pronges, or with sideways pulling of the center pronge by means of a trip wire, this will rotate the plastic sphere half over the upper rim of the lower fuze body, lifting the cage with the three steel balls upward, allowing the steel balls to move outward, releasing the firing pin. This will ignite the flame pipe for the expulsion charge which ignites the main expulsion charge placed in the hollow nut in the base of the mine. This will launch the mine from the launching pot, shattering the plastic ring nut in top of the mine housing.
As both the duplex detonator and the ignition flame pipe for the expulsion charge have to be inserted before the mine is placed -and both look alike- , both have a different colour on the firing cap side; The duplex detonator is coloured yellow in top, the ignition flame pipe is coloured black in top.
The predecessor of the V69 bounding mine was the V59 bounding mine, nearly identical in functioning, however nearly completely made of metal. By using more plastic components the V69 was cheaper to produce and was watertight for a longer period. The V69 was followed up by the VS-Jap (Jumping Anti Personel). This mine contained even more plastic parts and had a striking facetted outer casing, and a three plastic pronged fuze.
Data V69:
Weight : 3,2 kg
Weight explosive charge : 0,42 Kg Comp.B (RDX/TNT)
Diameter (over top cover) : 130 mm
Total height (including pronge) : 205 mm
Height mine body : 123 mm.
Operating pressure / pull : 10 kg on outer pronges , 6 kg pull on central pronge
Lethal radius : 25 mtrs, (dangerous up to at least 50 mtrs).
The mine is produced in the colours sand yellow and olive green.
The mine is found in the following countries :
Angola, Egypt, Iraq, Kurdistan, Kuwait, Mozambique, Sudan, Western Sahara.
Regards, DJH
