De PDM-2 mine is meant as a blast mine against landing crafts, amphibious vehicles, small vessels and ships and is laid along beaches, in bays, in lakes and rivers. The mine is typicaly laid in water depths between 2,4 to 3,8 meters, depending on this the support is built up to a height of eiter 1,1 or 2,7 meters. The support consists of a heavy steel cross made of UNP beams , with a mast in center to house the mine body. The mast is secured by four suspension wires which are tensioned with turnbuckles.
The current is not to be higher than 1,5 mtrs/sec. and the minimal distance between two mines has to be 8 meters.
The mine consists of a 3mm thick sheet steel spherical body with a diameter of 270mm, made of two halves welded together. To the base, an internally threaded bushing is welded, used to place the mine on the support. On the opposite side an internally threaded steel ring is welded, which receives the VPDM-2 tilt fuze. To the inside of this ring a thin sheet metal cup is brassed, housing the booster charge (red).
In the lower side of the mine body a ring with a plug is welded in place, acting as the filler plug. The mine is filled with 15 Kg of TNT or Ammonite (a mixture of Ammonium Nitrate and TNT). The weight of the complete mine set depends upon the support height; 100 kg whith the 1,1 mtr high version, 135kg with the 2,7 mtr version.
The fuze used on the mine is the VPDM-2 tilt fuze, in fact the same fuze as the VPDM-1, but designed for a higher tilt force. A 685mm long fuze extender is screwed to the tilter on top of the fuze, secured with a split pin.
Description and funtioning of the VPDM-2 fuze:
The fuze consitsts of a fuze body (1) with a tilter (2) in top. A brass cap (3) is placed over the tilter, secured with a threaded ring (4) on the outer circumfrernce, and a nut (5) on the inside.
A thin steel (3mm dia) threaded rod is screwed into the base of the tilter, the other side connected to the release bolt (6). The release bolt has two through holes; the upper hole houses a thin copper pipe (7), which houses a springloaded (8) safety pin (9), the lower hole houses two steel balls that fall into a groove in top of the springloaded firing pin (11), and are kept in inward position by the housing (12) for the MD-10 duplex detonator (13), keeping the firing pin fixated in tensioned position. The springloaded (8) safety pin (9) is kept in inward position by a steel distance piece while in storage and during transport. When making the mines ready for placement the cup on the side of the mine is unscrewed, the distance piece is removed and replaced with a sugar piece (10).
Just prior to placing the mine in the water, a soft brassed metal strip is pulled away from the circumference of the cup, revealing four small holes that allow water to reach the sugar piece. In 30 degees Celsius water the sugar piece will dissolve in 8 minutes, in 0 degrees water it will take 2,5 hours. With the sugar dissolved the spring (8) loaded safety pin (9) will move outward, arming the mine, leaving the thin copper pipe (7) in place as a firing resistance , together with the deformation of the brass cap (3). The fuze is activated when a sideways force of between 40 to 50 kg is applied to the tip of the extender and the extender is tilted 15 degrees. This will also rotate the tilter (2) 15 degrees, lifting the release bolt (6) upward, allowing the two steel balls to move outward from the detonator housing (12), releasing the firing pin (11) to move into the duplex detonator (13), detonating the mine.
The PDM-2 mine is used and found in Ukraine, used by both the Russian armed forces and the Ukraine armed forces.
Regards, DJH
The current is not to be higher than 1,5 mtrs/sec. and the minimal distance between two mines has to be 8 meters.
The mine consists of a 3mm thick sheet steel spherical body with a diameter of 270mm, made of two halves welded together. To the base, an internally threaded bushing is welded, used to place the mine on the support. On the opposite side an internally threaded steel ring is welded, which receives the VPDM-2 tilt fuze. To the inside of this ring a thin sheet metal cup is brassed, housing the booster charge (red).
In the lower side of the mine body a ring with a plug is welded in place, acting as the filler plug. The mine is filled with 15 Kg of TNT or Ammonite (a mixture of Ammonium Nitrate and TNT). The weight of the complete mine set depends upon the support height; 100 kg whith the 1,1 mtr high version, 135kg with the 2,7 mtr version.
The fuze used on the mine is the VPDM-2 tilt fuze, in fact the same fuze as the VPDM-1, but designed for a higher tilt force. A 685mm long fuze extender is screwed to the tilter on top of the fuze, secured with a split pin.
Description and funtioning of the VPDM-2 fuze:
The fuze consitsts of a fuze body (1) with a tilter (2) in top. A brass cap (3) is placed over the tilter, secured with a threaded ring (4) on the outer circumfrernce, and a nut (5) on the inside.
A thin steel (3mm dia) threaded rod is screwed into the base of the tilter, the other side connected to the release bolt (6). The release bolt has two through holes; the upper hole houses a thin copper pipe (7), which houses a springloaded (8) safety pin (9), the lower hole houses two steel balls that fall into a groove in top of the springloaded firing pin (11), and are kept in inward position by the housing (12) for the MD-10 duplex detonator (13), keeping the firing pin fixated in tensioned position. The springloaded (8) safety pin (9) is kept in inward position by a steel distance piece while in storage and during transport. When making the mines ready for placement the cup on the side of the mine is unscrewed, the distance piece is removed and replaced with a sugar piece (10).
Just prior to placing the mine in the water, a soft brassed metal strip is pulled away from the circumference of the cup, revealing four small holes that allow water to reach the sugar piece. In 30 degees Celsius water the sugar piece will dissolve in 8 minutes, in 0 degrees water it will take 2,5 hours. With the sugar dissolved the spring (8) loaded safety pin (9) will move outward, arming the mine, leaving the thin copper pipe (7) in place as a firing resistance , together with the deformation of the brass cap (3). The fuze is activated when a sideways force of between 40 to 50 kg is applied to the tip of the extender and the extender is tilted 15 degrees. This will also rotate the tilter (2) 15 degrees, lifting the release bolt (6) upward, allowing the two steel balls to move outward from the detonator housing (12), releasing the firing pin (11) to move into the duplex detonator (13), detonating the mine.
The PDM-2 mine is used and found in Ukraine, used by both the Russian armed forces and the Ukraine armed forces.
Regards, DJH
