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Spike for Limpet
- Thread starter Barnabé
- Start date
Hi Barnabe
The item you are looking for is called Switch No 14 Charge Pinning. If you put this into the search box on BOCN, it will bring you up some details of the device. I will see if I have any documents related to it when I have chance.
www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/84986-Switch-No-14-Charge-Pinning-Mark-1?highlight=pinning
Cheers
Switch
The item you are looking for is called Switch No 14 Charge Pinning. If you put this into the search box on BOCN, it will bring you up some details of the device. I will see if I have any documents related to it when I have chance.
www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/84986-Switch-No-14-Charge-Pinning-Mark-1?highlight=pinning
Cheers
Switch
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Herewith a picture of the business part of the device. Two nail types were used (one to penetrate steel and one for wood) the propellant being Cordite (for wood) or Ballistite (for steel) in a cut down 9mm cartridge case. The claim was that
"The piston retains a seal with barrel thus ensuring that the firing operation is relatively silent and unaccompanied by tell-tale gas escape."
Of course the pentration of a steel projectile at high velocity into several hundred square metres of almost monolithic steel hull wasn't necessarily a completely quiet operation.
"The piston retains a seal with barrel thus ensuring that the firing operation is relatively silent and unaccompanied by tell-tale gas escape."
Of course the pentration of a steel projectile at high velocity into several hundred square metres of almost monolithic steel hull wasn't necessarily a completely quiet operation.
Hi Barnabe
The Switch No 14 is a friction fit in the bracket which is attached to the limpet. The barrel is inserted in the circular retainer mounted on the limpet to the shoulder of the body. The bracket is I believe, slightly sprung to retain the Switch .
On arriving at the target, it is necessary to remove the positive safety pin, then unscrew the brass nut which releases the striker, allowing it to impact on the percussion cap of the 9mm blank, which drives the pinning nail home. The pinning nail remains in the end of the barrel, anchoring the entire device to the target, and preventing the escape of any propellant gas.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Switch
The Switch No 14 is a friction fit in the bracket which is attached to the limpet. The barrel is inserted in the circular retainer mounted on the limpet to the shoulder of the body. The bracket is I believe, slightly sprung to retain the Switch .
On arriving at the target, it is necessary to remove the positive safety pin, then unscrew the brass nut which releases the striker, allowing it to impact on the percussion cap of the 9mm blank, which drives the pinning nail home. The pinning nail remains in the end of the barrel, anchoring the entire device to the target, and preventing the escape of any propellant gas.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Switch
Hello Thanks SWITCH for the explanations, I understand better. However do you have information on the support of the Limpet. I put a picture of my Limpet Type 6 MkIA with his placing rods.I found on the catalog SOE, another model of spike as the switch n ° 14 with a cane of placement without the bracket on the rod placing. Do you have details on this model?Thanks for all your answers. Barnabé
Attachments
Good Morning Barnabe
Nice example of a Type 6 Limpet.
The Spike, Attachment (Long Handle) and (Short Handle) is an item that I have never seen in a photograph, and I have never been able to handle an example. It is listed in the SOE Catalogue, and there is a little more information regarding it's use in the Australian SRD Handbook, which gives a reference of technical Bulletin No 21 - 12th October 1944. Presumably as it was designed to affix a Limpet to a wooden target, it will have seen more use in this theatre of the war.
If anyone else can provide any additional information it would be most welcome.
Cheers
Switch
Nice example of a Type 6 Limpet.
The Spike, Attachment (Long Handle) and (Short Handle) is an item that I have never seen in a photograph, and I have never been able to handle an example. It is listed in the SOE Catalogue, and there is a little more information regarding it's use in the Australian SRD Handbook, which gives a reference of technical Bulletin No 21 - 12th October 1944. Presumably as it was designed to affix a Limpet to a wooden target, it will have seen more use in this theatre of the war.
If anyone else can provide any additional information it would be most welcome.
Cheers
Switch
Spike, Attachment
The Spike Attachment is described pretty well in the catalogue. What it doesn't say is that the device consists of a brass body 2 1/8 inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter. the hardened steel spike is 1 inch long and 1/8 of an inch in diameter. A snap hook attaches to the body to which can be suspended an exposive charge.
The device was designed at the end of 1942 by Major Ramsay Green and George Bowman at Station XII. User trials were conducted by the RMBPD and feedback from them resulted in the pattern being sealed in August 1943.
Production was carried out by Station XII and 5,300 were produced by the end of 1944.
Herewith a drawing which might be helpful.
Barnabe,
Forgive me for asking but are you sure that your limpet is a Mark IA?
The Spike Attachment is described pretty well in the catalogue. What it doesn't say is that the device consists of a brass body 2 1/8 inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter. the hardened steel spike is 1 inch long and 1/8 of an inch in diameter. A snap hook attaches to the body to which can be suspended an exposive charge.
The device was designed at the end of 1942 by Major Ramsay Green and George Bowman at Station XII. User trials were conducted by the RMBPD and feedback from them resulted in the pattern being sealed in August 1943.
Production was carried out by Station XII and 5,300 were produced by the end of 1944.
Herewith a drawing which might be helpful.
Barnabe,
Forgive me for asking but are you sure that your limpet is a Mark IA?
Hello Bonnex Excuse me for my poor English because I'm french.You are the King of the Limpets. You have very good information and thank you much and SWITCH for all this wonderful information. In France, we have only very little information on the Limpet because very little Limpet have parachuted to the FFI maquis.Do you have the method of attachment of the Spike on the limpet? I think my Limpet is MKIA because she didn't have a hole underneath for the anti-disturbance . In France, the SOE parachuted with another type of Limpet instruction manuals, is a old model? (see photo) and another question: on a photo of a Museum in Belgium (see photo), we note a limpet to 10 magnets, is this the model with "ALNICO" magnets Again many thanks for all these very important information. Barnabé
Attachments
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Thanks. I asked about your limpet because it looked as though it had a seam along the body.
The Rigid Limpet charge container was trialled in November 1941 with configuration of 6, 8 and 10 Alnico magnets. The most effective being the 10 magnet version despite the heavier all-up weight. The early issues of Type 6 Mark I limpets used two 5-Magnet Line Sub-assemblies. In February 1942 the Alcomax magnet was available and it was possible to reduce to 6 the number of magnets for the same or better adhesion.
The 3 magnet line assemblies were called Magnetic Line Mark II but the Limpet did not change its nomenclature. Relatively few 10 magnet limpets were made.
Numerous magnetic charges were produced, some for specific operations (Josephine, Kindle) and some as general purpose charges such as the one you show. Mobile limpets were also devised. MD1 limpets were first in the field.
The Sleeping Beauty programme produced limpets especially for use with motorised submersible canoes. The charge container was assembled to a number of different mounting accessories (magnets, nail gun, suction cup and spike). I have only seen a photograph of one of these charge containers suspended from a spike and there was nothing special about the way it was hooked up, just a loop of para-cord tied on the the charge and clipped on the spike.
Below the ten magnet Rigid Limpet, Limpet SB(MSC), MD1 Limpet Mk II
The Rigid Limpet charge container was trialled in November 1941 with configuration of 6, 8 and 10 Alnico magnets. The most effective being the 10 magnet version despite the heavier all-up weight. The early issues of Type 6 Mark I limpets used two 5-Magnet Line Sub-assemblies. In February 1942 the Alcomax magnet was available and it was possible to reduce to 6 the number of magnets for the same or better adhesion.
The 3 magnet line assemblies were called Magnetic Line Mark II but the Limpet did not change its nomenclature. Relatively few 10 magnet limpets were made.
Numerous magnetic charges were produced, some for specific operations (Josephine, Kindle) and some as general purpose charges such as the one you show. Mobile limpets were also devised. MD1 limpets were first in the field.
The Sleeping Beauty programme produced limpets especially for use with motorised submersible canoes. The charge container was assembled to a number of different mounting accessories (magnets, nail gun, suction cup and spike). I have only seen a photograph of one of these charge containers suspended from a spike and there was nothing special about the way it was hooked up, just a loop of para-cord tied on the the charge and clipped on the spike.
Below the ten magnet Rigid Limpet, Limpet SB(MSC), MD1 Limpet Mk II
Hello BonnexThanks you for the explanations. Regarding magnets, can it differentiate the magnets Alnico and Alcomax (see picture). In France,the mine action service indicates another type of Limpet (see drawing) do you know? In photo, a limpet MkIV a collector friend, she used during the 2ww? Barnabé
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The booklet shows a Flexible Limpet (sometimes referred to as a Lamprey). These ISRB devices started (1941) as a field assembled extemporised limpet using rubberised cloth, adhesive cloth tape, magnets and 3 lbs PE etc. End caps and saddles were designed and the plan was for a production version (see photo) of the "Flexible Limpet, Type 6 Mark II" to replace the Rigid Limpet. However the decision was reversed and the Rigid Limpet was retained. Components to manufacture about 1000 of the flexible limpets were ordered.
Hello,.
Thanks again for all this information on the Limpet mines, it's great. A small diagram on the Limpet MKI of the German manual of the Abwehr.
I have other questions about landmines CLAM (dropping to the French maquis) and I think I'll open another post views the quality of your answers.
Barnabé
Thanks again for all this information on the Limpet mines, it's great. A small diagram on the Limpet MKI of the German manual of the Abwehr.
I have other questions about landmines CLAM (dropping to the French maquis) and I think I'll open another post views the quality of your answers.
Barnabé
Barnabe,
Thank you for posting the page showing the MD1 Limpet Mk I. Images showing this particuar model are scarce as indeed is the German manual that you have shown the page from. Do you by any chance have a complete copy of the manual (Die feindlichen Sabotagemittel)?
Thank you for posting the page showing the MD1 Limpet Mk I. Images showing this particuar model are scarce as indeed is the German manual that you have shown the page from. Do you by any chance have a complete copy of the manual (Die feindlichen Sabotagemittel)?
