I need an expert in Google-Fu
 

A long time ago when I was in college, I was reading in the ROTC book room and there was a reference to research into something called "antipersonnel mine strips." Basically, they could be attached to the sides, front, and rear of an armored vehicle (the article suggested an attachment similar to what's used for ERA), and they were basically Claymore mines that would be triggered by the vehicle commander to take out infantry.

I've tried using several search engines, but I can't find any reference to it. Anybody know anything about it?

Sounds like the strip charges David Drake uses in the Hammer's Slammers stories as a combination of close-in AP defense and last-ditch interdiction of missiles and rockets.

- C.

Nothing yet but sounds like something I read about WWII vehicles ... or a modified reactive type of armor.

But I did find this cool site...lol


http://www.armoroutlet.com/index.html

I don't know of anything that would be anti-personnel, but the Russians have something called the Arena-E active protection system. Mounts in a strip-like ring around the turret of a tank and it used to defeat ATGMs that are inbound on the tank. It fires an explosive charge when the missile gets within detection range and basicaly impacts/destroys the missile or causes premature activation of the warhead before the missile strikes the target.

It's mentioned that in an emergency, the commander of the tank can activate the system manually and explode munitions from the ring. So I guess it would be possible for a tank commander to use it in an anti-personnel manner should infantry be desperate enough to engage a tank in close combat.

Here's a link to a site that tells a little bit about it: http://defense-update.com/products/a/arena-e.htm

Maybe you need to direct your search towards anti-ambush devices?
For example, thre are some mentioned on this page from Rhodesia that are anti-personnel
http://www.angelfire.com/art/enchanter/antiambush.html

Not exactly what you are looking for, but I've seen this before:

http://www.strategypage.com/military...spx?comments=Y

wow talk about scratch my back.
got to love that.

I'd hate to be inside when those things went off, but I guess it's better than getting pulled out of the APC and gutted alive :)

Yeah, I read the comments on that site and you pretty much hit the nail on the head. This isn't a "use every day" sort of thing. It's to save your butt from something much, much worse.