Mines - Types / Placement / Disarment

[Targan]

I agree that in most cases a trained human would be the best creature for the job but the consequences of failure are, well, pretty extreme. Also there would be some circumstances (mines containing very little metal for instance) in which animals would be more effective in detecting mines than humans (even humans equipped with mine detecting equipment). Only the most sophisticated man-made sniffer devices are more accurate than a dog's nose.

When animals are used for mine detection the general rule is that you use two animals; when one has detected a mine or has finished its sweep of a narrow corridor a second animal is used to double-check. A decent-sized dog would be superior to a rat in one important respect - if a dog misses detecting a mine it might set it off as it passes over it, whereas a rat would be very unlikely to set off any mines (I know we've seen the pressures needed but lets be honest, a rat isn't likely to set off a trip wire and at a maximum of six pounds in weight and having two feet on the ground at any one time it would only ever exert a maximum ground pressure of three pounds).

Therefore as a human EOD soldier walks down the cleared lane to get to a detected mine he wouldn't have much fear of stepping on an undetected mine if he is walking in a dog's footsteps, but might well step on an undetected mine if it had been a rat that had walked the lane before him.

[Legbreaker]

Mine detection is a team effort and done properly is a slow and labourious process.
Now bearing in mind that it's over 15 years since I so much as looked at this, the process is as follows:

First a soldier armed with a light piece of wire moves alongside the uncleared lane, gently swinging it to detect tripwires. Any wires found are marked either for later removal or if it's too dangerous to go on (ie can't easily move past without triggering), immediately dealt with.
Naturally if this is the first lane cleared, they won't have anywhere safe to put their feet and so it's up to others to do a visual inspection and hope they see them. Alternatively, the swinger could stand over the probe man (see below).

Next comes the metal detector, again walking along the cleared lane and swinging their devices over the uncleared lane. Again, any mines detected are marked.

Then comes the probes. Using a nonferrous probe (ie NOT a bayonet unless absolutely unavoidable), the ground is probed at a fairly shallow angle. The aim is to strike the side of the mine, or if it does hit the top at such a shallow angle that not enough pressure is applied to set it off. Any mines found are marked and as with trip wires either removed / detonated safely immediately, or bypassed.

Immediately behind the probe is the tape. They lay the tape on the uncleared side of the lane, pinning it to the ground so it can't move by wind or accidently contacting it.

Of course if trying to breach a field by stealth at night, chances are only the last two will be available, although the detector could be used by a man standing over the probe.

Regardless of a stealthy breach or one done in daylight, the clearing section must be covered by fire ie a couple of machineguns, etc ready to provide covering fire should they come under attack.

A bare minimum of metal should be carried/worn by the breaching party to minimise the chance of detonating magnetic mines. Care must be taken at all times and movements should remain slow and deliberate.

Now as I said before, it's been a good 15+ years since I did any of this so I may have missed something.

Animals can be useful, but they're just one tool available to the assault pioneer/sapper/engineer/PBI.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Animals can be useful, but they're just one tool available to the assault pioneer/sapper/engineer/PBI.

I understand. The rats are only used during peacetime mine clearing operations, and not by military operators. And a big reason I think they are used is because they are cheap. IMO the best and safest way to clear mines in peacetime would be to use mine clearing vehicles with front mounted chain flails or with dragged sleds made from old tyres.

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Anti-lift devices yes, but the mines themselves - no.
An anti-lift device is just another version of a booby trap. There are no mines issued with, or even produced with a release type trigger mechanism.
At least there weren't back when I was working with them in the early to mid 90s.

Actually there are mines with screw in detonators that have 3 detonator ports up top that go off with pressure , and 1 det port underneath that go off if someone relives the pressure .This is to ensure that there is a bang if someone tries to lift the mine and slow down the lifting of minefields.

Now- I wish I could give the correct type/model - but I cant as of now.I just remember prepping said mines ,and being told that we were not allowed to set the pressure release trigger ourselves ,but rather that engineers would do them.

I think these mines were US made .

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

First a soldier armed with a light piece of wire moves alongside the uncleared lane, gently swinging it to detect tripwires. Any wires found are marked either for later removal or if it's too dangerous to go on (ie can't easily move past without triggering), immediately dealt with.

Silly String works even better for this purpose. Detects tripwires and marks them in one go.

[Webstral]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Either way, I'd much rather trust a human to do the job. It's a dangerous one admittedly, but at least a humn is going to understand that they can't loose focus for even a moment - one slip, one missed mine and it's all over.

People do lose focus, though. People get tired, and the guy standing at the back of the minefield is always under pressure to get more mines cleared. Still, you can't use rats or dogs to clear defended minefields.

Webstral

[pmulcahy11b]

Aww, get a MCLIC! Who cares if the farmer doesn't want craters all over his fields -- no one can have everything he wants...or drop a daisy cutter on the suspected area...

[Webstral]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Aww, get a MCLIC!

The consumption of mine clearing lines of charges during the NATO movement (can you call something so slow a drive?) across Poland towards the USSR must have been truly staggering, along with the consumption of artillery rounds.

Webstral

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Aww, get a MCLIC! Who cares if the farmer doesn't want craters all over his fields -- no one can have everything he wants...or drop a daisy cutter on the suspected area...

then the farmer could swithch from farming to running a mine ( excavation of minerals) in the free shaft that the USAF just turned his field into.

The Daisy cutter clears minefields and promotes develoment all in one bang.