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Any idea what type of mine

BMG50

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Just read this quote from a list of other quotes from WW2, anyone know what type of German mine this was, A upward projecting steel rod?

"Information has just been received about a new Jerry mine. It has no official designation, but the Yanks call it 'the 50-50 mine'. It has the general characteristics of the 'S' mine, but, instead of the ball bearings, a sharp steel rod flies up. The name is derived from your chances. If you hit with the right foot, the rod flies up past your right side. If you hit it with the left, you'll be singing tenor." -R. M. Wingfield
 
BMG50,

I have a 1946 Fort Halstead publication on German Anti-personnel mines and there is no mention of anything like that. It sounds like a fanciful description of a "Switch, No. 8, Pressure."

I would be most impressed with any mines of that era or present, having the ability to sense and adapt to what direction the victim was walking.

Regards

TimG.
 
I to haven't heard or seen a mine of that description, thinking along the same lines of an AP switch. Its has also been said about S-mines that they were filled with razor blades, another war time quote thats a myth but when you take into account the thin wall casing that adds to the schrapnel you have something similar flying through the air.
 
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