The Swimmer Weapons System 3801
The 308 devices part one
During the Vietnam war, the Special Operations community needed advanced demolition and sabotage type devices. The only available ones on hand were those left over from WWII and Korea like the CIA Anti-disturbance device which operated on battery decay for time and relays with leaf springs for anti disturbance.
The Naval Ordnance Laboratory at China Lake NOS was tasked to upgrade the specops requirements. They came up with what (and still is) called the Swimmer Weapons System 3801. Within the 3801 equipment was what was called the 308 Special Devices. The 308 were either firing devices that used a resistor capacitor circuit for arming and firing. There were 7 basic 308 devices, the 308-9 Claymore, -11 Army canteen, -12 army flashlight, -14 instamatic camera, -17 AK47 and M16 magazines, -21 gas tank cap and the first basic device the 308-6. With the exception of the -6 all of the others were designed to be built into an item to hide their purpose.
There employment was simple, special operation forces Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs or the MAVCSOG teams, would seek into an enemy area and leave one or these devices behind. Other methods would be to leave one of them say the canteen or magazine along a trail. When the enemy found them and either opened or tried to use them, the device would function an electric blasting cap and pre packed C-4 within the device would detonate.
This article will discuss the first 308 device, the 308-6 which was anti disturbance and had the ability to have an external firing device attached to it (a clock timer, pressure switch etc). These are electronic ant disturbance mechanisms used to initiate boobytraps either on the surface or underwater (to a depth of 70’).
The devices are painted olive drab, and are identified by an adhesive-affixed identification plate indicating the unit model number, serial number, and date of manufacture. This plate is removed before use. It was 3 x 1.5 x 1.25” in size and weighed 5.5 ounces.
The case is plastic, and the cap terminals are brass. The on-off switch, wires, and connector plug are covered with rubber. The components of the device are encapsulated in plastic, and are accessible only by destruction of the device.
The 308-6 was a resistor capacitor arming and firing system. When the switch was turned on the capacitor would start to be charged from a 30v NEDA # 222 battery. The device could fire up to 4 blasting caps. The number of caps also controlled the arming time; 1 cap 1minute and 4 caps 3.5 minutes.
When the device was disturbed, or heavy vibration was detected near by the device would fire, via a small trembler switch that allowed the capacitors to discharge to the blasting caps. In addition the 308-6 may also be fired through the functioning of a normally open pressure switch, connected to the connector plug. Several different pressure switches are available for use with this device, such as a clock work timer or a pressure switch.
There were actually two variations of the 308-6, the -6 and the -6A. The 308-6A device is identical to the 308-6 except that it does not have the connector plug, and was used for anti disturbance only.
All setups using the 308-6 had to be completed prior to arming.
There were 125 308-6 devices made during the Vietnam War. Documents report that 54 of them were used in actual deployment. In 1981 25 of the remaining stock were destroyed. At least 15 can be accounted for at various training activities.
While researching this device this author found one source of its use by Co D 1[SUP]st[/SUP] SF. In 1969 during Operation Sonjia, the 308-6A was used with time pencils of various time delays. The boobytraps were set in known NVA/VC Area the time pencils would detonate at various times through a 3 to 7 day time frame keeping the enemy off guard. And if they enemy found the boobytraps the 308-6A would be functioned killing them.
The 308 devices part one
During the Vietnam war, the Special Operations community needed advanced demolition and sabotage type devices. The only available ones on hand were those left over from WWII and Korea like the CIA Anti-disturbance device which operated on battery decay for time and relays with leaf springs for anti disturbance.
The Naval Ordnance Laboratory at China Lake NOS was tasked to upgrade the specops requirements. They came up with what (and still is) called the Swimmer Weapons System 3801. Within the 3801 equipment was what was called the 308 Special Devices. The 308 were either firing devices that used a resistor capacitor circuit for arming and firing. There were 7 basic 308 devices, the 308-9 Claymore, -11 Army canteen, -12 army flashlight, -14 instamatic camera, -17 AK47 and M16 magazines, -21 gas tank cap and the first basic device the 308-6. With the exception of the -6 all of the others were designed to be built into an item to hide their purpose.
There employment was simple, special operation forces Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs or the MAVCSOG teams, would seek into an enemy area and leave one or these devices behind. Other methods would be to leave one of them say the canteen or magazine along a trail. When the enemy found them and either opened or tried to use them, the device would function an electric blasting cap and pre packed C-4 within the device would detonate.
This article will discuss the first 308 device, the 308-6 which was anti disturbance and had the ability to have an external firing device attached to it (a clock timer, pressure switch etc). These are electronic ant disturbance mechanisms used to initiate boobytraps either on the surface or underwater (to a depth of 70’).
The devices are painted olive drab, and are identified by an adhesive-affixed identification plate indicating the unit model number, serial number, and date of manufacture. This plate is removed before use. It was 3 x 1.5 x 1.25” in size and weighed 5.5 ounces.
The case is plastic, and the cap terminals are brass. The on-off switch, wires, and connector plug are covered with rubber. The components of the device are encapsulated in plastic, and are accessible only by destruction of the device.
The 308-6 was a resistor capacitor arming and firing system. When the switch was turned on the capacitor would start to be charged from a 30v NEDA # 222 battery. The device could fire up to 4 blasting caps. The number of caps also controlled the arming time; 1 cap 1minute and 4 caps 3.5 minutes.
When the device was disturbed, or heavy vibration was detected near by the device would fire, via a small trembler switch that allowed the capacitors to discharge to the blasting caps. In addition the 308-6 may also be fired through the functioning of a normally open pressure switch, connected to the connector plug. Several different pressure switches are available for use with this device, such as a clock work timer or a pressure switch.
There were actually two variations of the 308-6, the -6 and the -6A. The 308-6A device is identical to the 308-6 except that it does not have the connector plug, and was used for anti disturbance only.
All setups using the 308-6 had to be completed prior to arming.
There were 125 308-6 devices made during the Vietnam War. Documents report that 54 of them were used in actual deployment. In 1981 25 of the remaining stock were destroyed. At least 15 can be accounted for at various training activities.
While researching this device this author found one source of its use by Co D 1[SUP]st[/SUP] SF. In 1969 during Operation Sonjia, the 308-6A was used with time pencils of various time delays. The boobytraps were set in known NVA/VC Area the time pencils would detonate at various times through a 3 to 7 day time frame keeping the enemy off guard. And if they enemy found the boobytraps the 308-6A would be functioned killing them.
