Mock Explosive Charge for German S Mine

[ekim199944]

[FONT=&amp]I would like to make a mock explosive charge for my German S Mine. Have attached a photo of one made by IMA for the mine they were selling. Does this look correct? If so would the charge, before being put into the mine have holes covered, and only being punched through when put into mine? Would like to make one charge to put into my mine, and one to set outside to show what it would look like. Are they wrapped in waxed paper like other charges?

Would appreciate your help
Mike[/FONT]

 

[pzgr40]

As far as I know the S mine was filled with flaked TNT. But I may be wrong....

 

[ekim199944]

Do you mean TNT was poured in and not in some compressed form?

 

[pzgr40]

Flakes, like tennis gravel, as far as I know.
But there also may be pre cast charges like yours, but I've never seen that.
Regards, DJH

 

[MINENAZ16]

I have these pictures in my archives, compressed charge of Fp02 for Smi35



Herewith a French drawing (so compressed charge) in a 1945 manual


I saw in EOD doc another type of charge,
a 180gr FP02 cylinder charge and inside 3 FP02 tubes held in place by three pieces of bakelite. I don't know if it the same as above (paper packing could hide the inside construction)

Something like this (sorry my bad diagram with paint) :

 

[ekim199944]

Thanks for everybody's help.

Mike

 

[Bellifortis]

Hi,
these are interesting pictures shown by @minenaz16 . I have never seen before charges like these, for that matter none at all of this mine. But, old german manuals name the big middleplug as "Filling-Plug". So we can assume that early mines were all filled with flake-TNT or poured as a melt. The minecasing, manufactured by a metalworking company, was delivered all ready made to a HE "Filling Station" of the military or a company specialised in this type of work. When employing a pressed moulding, like in the foto, the mine had to be completely manufactured by the metalworking company as (the TNT mould being delivered from an explosives manufacturer) it would be inserted before attaching the lid by crimping in the casing. I believe that the moulding pressed to the optimal density would increase the power of the mine. May be a late war-development. The triangel-shaped "Bakelite insert" would do just the opposite, it would reduce the power but also save a lots of explosive in short supply. The "cloak" of TNT might have been enough to do damage in the near distances these mines were usually used in.
bellifortis.

 

[ekim199944]

Is this charge coated in wax? How true to the color is your photo?

Thanks
Mike

 

[MINENAZ16]

Is this charge coated in wax? How true to the color is your photo?

Thanks
Mike

Only these old pictures, I assume sand color.

The second charge (with bakelite) I saw was in a brown-sand paper and explosive Fp02 inside was dirty white.