My first Mine.... S.mi.35..

[wemme]

I have wanted a smine for my collection for many years but never have been able to find one locally
Finially I managed to find this one and almost enough spares for a second.
The fuse is pretty corroded and the outer has been repainted but the inside is still complete and original (INERT)

Regards
Bart

 

[BMG50]

Congratulations, welcome to the mine club. Does your S-mine have the three screw holes for the shear screws at the bottom of the mine.

 

[wemme]

Thanks bmg50
Yes it has 3 screws holding the outer case to the base plate.
Why you ask?
Regards
Bart

 

[vinnyw]

Looks very nice.Im waiting for the mailman to bring mine.
vinny

 

[BMG50]

Ones which had no screws had a tin seal soldered on the top that held the mine in the pot.

 

[sudelmuk]

Well done, Bart.
42 is a more rare vintage, who's the manufacturer?
Those shear screws are often missing, no problem to replace, but worse if they are broken in the thread.

 

[wemme]

Hi guys,

@Vinny
where did you get yours from?

@Sudelmuk
I can not find any manufacture marks on any part of the mine. Only some date codes on the top plates.
Can anyone tell me where the cord material goes i assume it is a gaskit that seals the lid and very outer case.

@Bmg50
I assume soldered would have been better sealed.

Regards
Bart

 

[wemme]

The other lid didn't attach for some reason...

 

[sudelmuk]

Bart, I've already seen these top plates in the nearer past (and added them to my top plate picture collection ).

42 80 = in 1942 made by Rietschel & Henneberg GmbH, Berlin

P 279 1940 23 = made by Ruhrstahl AG Prewerk Brackwede, Bielefeld (23 might be a batch- or individual number).

 

[wemme]

Mudelmuk
Thank you for decoding the manufactures code.
You said 42 was a rare vintage. Do you know how many were made that year?
Regards
Bart

 

[BMG50]

S-mines with the soldered tin seal are rare now but very common during the war, mines like yours had a seal around the top edge, a ring made from petroleum tape. The cord is fitted on top of the shrapnel, helps to reduce shock to th cast iron pplate when jumping out of the ground.

 

[sudelmuk]

Mudelmuk
Thank you for decoding the manufactures code.
You said 42 was a rare vintage. Do you know how many were made that year?
Regards
Bart

Some times ago there was already a try to approach this special question:

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/74293-Very-Unique-Smi-35-Have-you-Seen-one/page2

Sure is that mass production of German land mines started not until 1942, according to the course of war.

For several reasons your "42 80"-piece seems to be a quite special one:

- as a 1942 vintage it's built up with the pre-war and early war-time (until 1940) screwed bottom plate (containing the propellant charge) and 'old style' top plate as well!

- at the latest since 1940 the old number code of manufacturers identification was completely (?) replaced by the three letter-code.

- the manufacturer 80 certainly was not a big player in mine production.

 

[wemme]

Thank you for that link there is a lot of interesting information in that thread.
Is it safe to assume the reason for the three fuse wells is redundacy in case of the others not ignighting from the ejection charge?
From momory the 44 has only one but is properly operated from a pull fuse.
Regards
Bart

 

[BMG50]

All of the S-mine35 mines have black powder delay fuzes and propellant charges making them prodone to damp and condensation. The S-mine 44 has as you mentioned a pull igniter which makes it very reliable. The propellant charge which again is black powder is enclosed in a plastic tube which keeps out all damp as there is no contact with metal. These tubes are very rare to find.

 

[SG500]

Does anyone have some good photos of a sectioned smine that they can show please?
I've googled this without too much luck (found diagrams but not a decent photo of a section).
Thanks.
Dave.

 

[xxxx]

I'll send you some Dave.

Marcus

 

[spotter]

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/26745-S-Mine-cutaway