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Unknown US Underwater Mine

jvollenberg

jvollenberg

Well-Known Member
Ordnance approved
Can anyone help me with this ...

I am trying to find out what mine this is and any information I can dig up.

All I have is they were dropped off of Virginia and some images.

Joe
 

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Joe, I have sent these images to the Association of Minemen in hopes one of the old timers can remember it. What the photos do tell: 1. Army personnel preparing the plant. 2. not Moored mine, 3. The term "group" in the caption would indicate a controlled mine, 4. image three has what appears to be a controlled mine field distribution box. 5. image one looks like they are recovering an older mine, perhaps they are replacing the group.6. Cable laid out in that fashion would hint at controlled mine cables and NOT mooring cables (mooring cable would be in an anchor.7. Virginia hits at it being near the Fort Story controlled mine field for the Chesapeake Bay entrance. Cheers, John
 
They remind me of the controlled mines used around the coastal arty battery's. I think there is some info about them in the various manuals on the coastal arty
 
Joe, we learn something each day. It is a buoyant controlled mine used in NY harbor. The round object in the 3rd. image is its anchor. See: http://www.oocities.org/fort_tilden/mine.html Known at the buoyant Mine M2 System Cheers, John
 
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Joe, how about some background on where you obtained it. What will you do with the information? It took almost an hour to locate it. John
 
Sorry ...

We had a navy team out of Norfolk looking for the information because they had to dive on it today or tomorrow. They had an underwater image and the pictures I posted on here. I am not really up on underwater stuff and as our underwater guy was looking for it I thought I would post the images I had digitally (I didn't have the underwater image) on here. I figured someone here might have some information. About the time you posted your stuff ... he found several sites that showed similar items as well. They mined around the areas of San Francisco with these as well.

Working where I do I don't always have the ability to discuss where I get some of the information I request and try and share, but I do what I can. Thanks for all your help on this ... Oh and I think there was 80 pounds of TNT in each of those.

Joe
 
Joe, can you post the u/w images they sent you. It is hard to believe that the steel cases would be intact. The Mk. 6 mines laid around the 10 thousand islands have long since rusted away. John
 
Goggle harbor defense mines or other variations and you'll get a load of sites. Some better the others just have to wade through the info, all of Joes pictures he posted pop up, there are a load of Coastal/harbor defense sites too
 
since this is an unclassified mine and system can you tell us more about the intended diving operation? Where? Regards,John
 
John,

I am not at work today. I will see if I can release the underwater image (that's not my call). I don't know the extent of the diving ops. I wasn't handling the request. I just ran into the guy looking up the info on the mine and thought I would help him out since I usually get good information from this site, plus it allows others to see the mine and have interesting discussions.

Joe
 
Hi Joe, An excellent image. I am amazed at its survival all these years. It looks totally intact. It doesn't look like a side scan sonar of 40 years ago. I was on the NATO demonstrations of the first side scan sonar back in the mid 60s. Is it possible to tell where the mine was found? All the Best, John and thanks for posting it.
 
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