The Ranger Anti Personnel Mine Laying System

[Sprockets]

Hello,Firstpaulee,I have always admired the design of the mine, and the concept of using a mortar to distribute areawise. Why did you use twin plastc mouldins for the obturator-perhaps this was to prevent one "cocking over"? You had an expansion chamber -was this to allow for complete combustion of the propellant prior to mine movement?
I have never understood how the mines were propelled to different ranges.Did the top mine in the column move the slowest, as the stack gradually increased in speed?

The arming key had twin prongs, but there is only one hole in the mine? There is someone, ex RE, who has built up a collection of Ranger mines and other devices, and would like to comunicate with you, if agreable?
My email is- martin.cummins95@btinternet.com Finally, is N Bonney in your picture, or perhaps your paths didn't cross, except at the J Innes mound!

 

[Firstpaulee]

Hi sprockets, as I recall the second ”obturator “ was at the front of the stack, preventing ingress of water and other contaminants into the front of the tube, and to stop the mines sliding out!!! The shotgun shell obturator was concave to absorb the explosion with flexible skirts to spread into the walls of the tube and seal in the propulsive gasses during its journey down the tube.

 

[Firstpaulee]

Range was surprisingly consistent with the elevation of the layer itself and could therefore be largely predicted . The mines would separate to a degree on leaving the tube but would scatter widely on striking the ground , bouncing, rolling and hiding themselves very effectively.

 

[Firstpaulee]

If memory serves, the second arm of the key would impinge on the moving arming lever on the mine once it had been twisted to release the timer detent, thus preventing the timer starting until the key was removed

 

[Firstpaulee]

It fell to me on occasion to entertain customers from overseas, specifically Senior Army Officers from our biggest customers, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. I would spend a considerable time planning an historic, cultural visit primarily to London, only to discover that even the most senior official wanted to sleep all day, then spend every evening consuming large amounts of alcohol followed by several hours in Raymonds Revue Bar ( probably long gone , but google it) . Sadly I was forced to abandon my plans in favour of theirs, oh well, the customer is always right isn’t he !!!!!
speaking of customers, the company made huge profits supplying spares. Typically we would buy, say, resistors from radio spares for fractions of a penny, and resell to Saudi for tens of pound each. The spares market was far more profitable than supplying entire systems.