Mined Charges ( Measle Shaft's)

[EODONE]

A number of members have shown an interest in the Mined Charge or Measle Shaft, it was nick named "Measle Shaft" because when marked on the M.R.S. map with red dots that's the way it appeared and the explosive charges were called "Cheeses"
The attachment show and explain the procedure.

REgards John :nerd:

 

[Richard709]

Road & Bridge maps

Measle shafts where part of a complex set of route denial measures put in place to delay or stop (unlikely) the USSR and other alliance countries in the event of an attack against NATO. Each Engineer Regt had a Road and Bridge map book( Classified Document), that contained detailed information on the location of every measle shaft, bridge and crossing point from the east/west German border right into Germany.

Each location on the map included pictures, contained a detailed list of what demolition stores that where required for each location either to demolish the bridge or crater the road or any other measures that may be required.

These books where produced on micro-fisch so that in the event of war they could be issued to section commanders and above. This was done in the early 80's. I was part of a small team that drove up and down the border checking all the locations to ensure that all the information was correct. Hard work, long hours, but great.

Richard

 

[EODONE]

Route Denial

Richard,
Me think our paths may have crossed on this task I also spent many long hours probing through the woods to find the explosive bunkers that held the stores required for use on these targets using the info from the "Demolition Target Folder" the wee blue book with the help of the local Walmister.

Yes RE gards John

 

[Richard709]

Route Denial

John,

I did 2 stints in 83/84 checking that all the recce reports that made up the book and film where correct. I also worked with the German Engineer Demolitions team in the Hildershiem area that looked after the pre-prepared bridges and roads, in that nice wide strip that ran down the border. can't remember what the team where called long name in German (no surprise) but they where really great bunch. Spent 2 weeks on their dems range as they had tons of PE, blowing anything and everything, best training I ever had I used more in a day than the Regt had for training for a year.

Great Experience, the German team really where true professionals and took the time to pass on some of the knowledge and experience they had gained over the years. They had an answer for any problem you could think of, only time I ever saw a 1 ton RDD set off, not much left of the bit of bridge it was sat on and a very very big hole underneath.

Regards

Richard

 

[glevum]

Richard,

What is a RDD?

Will.

 

[Richard709]

Rdd

Will,

An RDD is a Rapid Demolition Device, normally a steel pallet with 1 ton of explosive strapped to it, used to blow things up in a hurry when you don't have time to do a prepared demolition. but can and are also used as part of your prepared demolition plan.

Richard

 

[Richard709]

apology

I must apologize to to Will and all the other members I got it wrong, and have had the s**t ripped out of me for it by a good mate???. I should have said PDS and not RDD, which is Palletized Demolition System which of course is a pallet with a large quantity of explosives strapped to it. An RDD as graphically explained by my mate " you should have remembered you dropped enough of them off bridges into rivers, it did give the divers something to complain about when they had to recover them" RDD's consisted of five hayrick's linked together. I am sorry if I confused anyone.

Richard

Have just found my 1967 Copy of the REPB (RE Pocket Book) and the sprog is only half right,
1967 - charge demolition necklace L1A1 becomes in 1979 - RDD ( Steel ).
1967 - RDD ( Concrete ) becomes in 1979 - Pallatized Demolition System ( Concrete ).

ref taken from 1967 and 1979 REPB's. I am now going to flog the sprog to within an inch of his life for making me doudt myself. Bad memory.

 

[canadianspr]

Been there done that too. Don't forget about deciphering the target folder and unlocking all the doors with the fancy keys on the bunker. Did a few bridges that had lights and a cable to power them that would plug into the slave cable receptacle on our carriers.

 

[Richard709]

Never worked on a bridge with lights, when on exercise in Germany we tended to use the same half dozen bridges, year after year. Time moves on and pre-prepared demolition charges beehive - hayricks etc have been phased out in favour of user filled charges and 10kg tactical slab packs. Every place I served except Perham Down has now closed and been sold off or given back to the German Government.

 

[canadianspr]

Our responsibility was the Fulda Gap. Several large Autobahn bridges, a restaurant over the autobahn was another set to be dropped on the highway. I thought the falling concrete tunnel blocks just looked like a decoration but you put a Bangalore in a tube at the base and it would fall across the face of the tunnel and it had large steel studs that would embed in the pavement. The I beam obstacle was cool just don't put them in the wrong way in training because you'll never get them out. I even saw Measle shafts way up in the mountains on dirt roads in the middle of no were. At ENTEC in Munich there were mini measle shaft covers and you would put MI FFV-028 mines in them and lock the tops back on. They had it all figured out pretty good. I've got a picture of inside a bridge with all the Hayricks hung on the walls. I'll see if I can find it as its not digital