Bouncing Betty Box

[ekim199944]

I have recently acquired a box for my Bouncing Betty Mine. The photo of it shows it as I received it, after removing all the dirt and rust, it cleaned up pretty good. My question is how did the mine fit in the box and what else was enclosed. There are two slots where I can see dividers must go. Are there any photos out there showing what the inside of the box looked like with everything in it?

 

[ewag2]

This box held accessories for the SMi35 mine, such as fuzes and trip wire, etc. It didn't hold the mine itself. The paper label says exactly what went inside, but I don't speak German so I can't translate it. Those internal dividers are often missing. I assume it's because of people repurposing the boxes after the war.

All of the crates I've seen that held the mine bodies were made to hold three of them. I've seen versions made of wood and metal.

 

[ekim199944]

Thanks for the reply. I found this photo of the web a while back and it shows the mine in the box, I see it is just an illustration and not an actual mine. My mine will not fit in the box as show, that's what made me wonder. I tried to translate the label in my box, and this is what I came up with:

30 Sprengkapsein Nr 30 Detonators
2 Glühzündstücke 28 2 Glow Starters 28
9 Zwischenstücke 9 Connecting pieces
27 Gummiringe. 27 Rubber Rings

 

[Tmine35]

The box is also packed with 2 boxes of No 8 blasting caps and 2 boxes of S.Mi.Z.35 fuzes. With this content the box is totally full and yes, the mine itself do not belong in this box. The mines are carried in wooden or metal boxes for 3 mines in each.
Your box has the internal walls removed.

The box cover says that it is for accessories for 9 mines.

 

[Tmine35]

Forgot to add that also Z.Z. 42 fuzes go in the box. In picture a contents of the box.

 

[millsbomber]

Please correct me if im wrong but i thought a bouncing Betty was a American Bounding mine

 

[US-Subs]

Bouncing Betty is no real mine, just a non-technical slang term used to identify bounding mines in general. Used first by WWII GIs for the S mines, it carried over to others later on. I think the Brits/Australians had a similar term, but with a masculine name instead of Betty?

 

[BMG50]

The first term the British used around Dunkirk and early north Africa when they first encounter the S-mine was called the fruit tin mine as it was the size of a fruit tin.

 

[sudelmuk]

Just for completeness ...

box with content according to the label



properly packed .

 

[ekim199944]

Thanks for the great photos of the box with contents. My box has nearly the same label as the box you show, so I assume the contents would be about the same. Do you have any closeup photos of the labels on the small boxes?

 

[Tmine35]

I have several boxes from before the war and up to 1944. Labels show different contents.