German Ariel Mine Fuze(inert) 34B

[tonyboyle]

Aerial Mine

I am considering trying to make a rough replica of a German aerial/ parachute mine for a display. Does anyone have the dimensions of such a mine please? I believe they were about 20" diameter and about 6' long, but would like some more accurate dimensions. Also were the three fuzes/triggers always in the same locations or did these vary?
Was there much difference between the magnetic mines that were dropped into the sea by parachute and the ones dropped (deliberately) over land - maybe a dumb question thinking about it??

Thanks

 

[butterfly]

Hi,

Here is one drawing for you, maybe someone has some further information, basically there were two different sizes of the mines the Germans used two designations type A and B (A being the smaller and B being the larger)

However here gets the confusing bit......Bomb disposal named the mines in order of finding them.........as it happens the first one they found was a small one and they designated it Type A the next one a different length they named as Type B........these matched the German designations by coincidence.

The design was then altered, the Germans retained the original designations and still knew them as Type A and B ...........However when the next 'new' one was discovered by British Bomb Disposal this was designated Type C ....(this however was a larger type) and the next a Type D (smaller type)

So to sum up in sizes British Designation Type B and C were large mines and Type A and D were the smaller mines.

There were other types too ......but I think you may base your model on either a type C or D as these were the ones that appear to have been used also as landmines..


Dimentions form one source say Type A was 1,727mm long and Type B was 2,640mm long.

I believe the magnetic mechanism remained in the mines wether dropped on land or sea, but obviously they were ineffective on land as they needed to be dropped into a depth of water for the mechanism to become effective. (see this link for the magnetic switch .......

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/ww2-magnetic-mine-t74650.html?t=74650


Here is a drawing for you to be going on with

regards Kev

 

[tonyboyle]

Magnetice mine

Thanks for your help, I am getting on with the replica of the LMB magnetic mine. I have found plenty of pictures of the 34A fuze and some good ones of the primer release from the top and side.

However I need some more information about the other part of this mechanism. I believe that next to the fuze there was a release mechanism which had a large sping beneath it. This 'fired' a primer across the body of the mine into a detonator on the other side. The detonator was housed inside a bakelite container covered by a 6" access plate and was wired in.
Does anyone have any pictures of the primer and detonator, the housing, wiring, and the base of the primer relese mechanism? I have found a good picture of the tool used to remove the primer

Finally, this seems silly, but what colour were these mines painted? They all look black in photographs, but I have references to them being grey, so is it the b/w photos that give the black appearance?

Many thanks for your help.
Tony

 

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Hi Paul,
I can't add much to what Steve has posted except to add my drawings that were made from Steve's fuzes.
Briefly and I am sure you know, these fuzes were installed in the GC and GD parachute sea mines to protect the mine by detonation should they impact on land to keep them out of British hands. If they did not experience so many feet of sea water they would detonate after a few seconds. If they landed in water as designed they would allow the mine to function as a mine.
They were used also as against a target of oportunity and intentionally dropped on land to utilize their large blast effect. On impact they would sometimes hang up and the clockwork mechanism would stop somewhere between 17 and 0 seconds. Enter the Royal Navy RMS officer from the Land Incident Section from HMS Vernon.
Regards,
John