POMMIANSAm/41S(bombtrapm/41S)

(SchrapnellMine35/SMine35)
(US:"BouncingBetty")

PICTURE:Pommiansam/41Swithitspressureactivatedfuse.Bothbeingpaintedblueandthemarkingsinsideof
itindicatethatthisistrainingversionofthemine.(PhototakenSotamuseo).CLICKTHUMBNAILTOSEE
LARGERPIC(49KB).

Construction:

Cylindrical steel tin containing explosives + shrapnel material.

Fuse type:

Pressure or pull activated, located on top of the mine.

Basic principle:

Bouncing mine, when triggered gets projected up and

detonates mid-air creating shrapnel.

Location:

Buried just below ground, fuses barely above surface.

Height of mine:

12.7 cm without fuses, with activated pressure fuse 25 cm

Diameter of mine:

10.2 cm

Weight:

some 4 kg

Explosive charge:

190 g of TNT or amatol

Fuse activated by:

- Pressure activated (S.Mi.Z. 35) fuse:

Stepping on, 3 - 5.5 kg activates

- Pull activated (Z.Z. 35 and Z.U.Z.Z. 35) fuses:

Trip-wire activated.

- Electrical-fuse (E.S.Mi.Z. 40):

Detonated with electricity (*).

Country of origin:

Germany

(*)NotmentionedinFinnishmanuals,soprobablynotusedbyFinnishArmy.
Transportmethod:Boxeseachcontaining3mines.Weightoftheboxabout15kg.
Year1935GermanmilitaryintroducedSchrapnellMine35antipersonnelmine.
DesignofthisminewasexceptionallyeffectiveandduringWorldWar2itachieved
reallybadreputation.UnlikemostantipersonnelminesusedduringWW2iteasily
causedmultiplecasualtieswhenitexplodedanditseffectiverangewasmuchlarger
thanwithotherantipersonnelmines.SMinehadbothpressureactivated(activatedby
steppingon)andtripwireactivated(activatedbywalkingonwire)fuses.Ineither
casetriggeringtheminesetofftheigniter,whichsetthematerialdelaypelletonfire.
Thematerialinitburned3.9secondsbeforeitsetofftheprimarycharge,whichthrew
theminetoheightof0.71.5metres,wherethemainchargedetonated.Thewhole
processtookabout4.5seconds.Assidesofthesemineshadbeenfilledwithabout
360metalballsormildsteelrodsorpiecesofshrapneltheblastofmaincharge
createdlargenumberofprojectilesflyingtoallsidesin360degreepattern.Therange
theseprojectileswerecapablecreatingcasualtiesexceeded100meters.According

somesourcesthelethalrangewasabout20meters.Thisantipersonnelminemodel
withhelpofWW2eraUSpropagandaprobablyalsodeservesthedistinctionbeing
thelandmine,whichcreatedthemythof"landminewhichdoesn'tblastuntilfooton
topofitisremoved"stillcommonlyfoundinliterature,moviesandtelevisionshows.
Inrealityremovingthefootfromtopofthemineornotdidn'treallymatter,ifthefoot
wasstillontoptheSminewhentheprimarychargedetonated(propellingthemineto
air)theblastwaspowerfulenoughtocertainlyremovethelegbyforce.Aftersetting
ofSMine35remainingstandingortryingtorunawaywerealsoprettycertainways
ofgettingoneselfkilledthesmartestthingwasgettingdownfastandhopingthatthe
minewouldexplodeashighaspossible.
IneithercaseSMine35provedtobeoneofthemosteffectiveantipersonnel
landminesofWorldWar2.Itseffectivenessinkillingenemyinfantryandreliability
provedexcellent,whiletheselectionoffusesofferedgoodselectionformethodsof
armingit.However,atthesametimeitwasveryexpensiveandquitedifficultto
manufacture,whichisprobablywhiletheGermansintroducedSMine44already
duringthewar.BeforeitscollapseGermanymanufacturedsome1.93millionSMine
35andSMine44.Afterthewarmanycountriescopiedthebasicconceptof
antipersonnelminelaunchingitselffromthegroundanddetonatingmidairfortheir
ownantipersonnelmines.

PICTURE:ThreePommiansam/41Sintheiroriginaltransportboxwithoutfuses.Thesemineshavebeenpainted
withthecolourusedinlivemines.(PhototakenJalkavkimuseo).CLICKTHUMBNAILTOSEELARGERPIC
(51KB).

FinnishArmystartedbuyingSMine35fromGermanyafterWinterWar.Finnish
militarynamedtheminepommiansam/41S,whichroughlytranslatesasbombtrap
m/41S.TheletterSinnameoftheminecamefromwordsaksalainen(German).
AccordingFinnishmanualsthesemineswereconsideredsuitableforbeinginstalled
byengineersonly.Thebasicmethodforusingthemwasbuildingminefieldsinfront
ofownfrontlinepositionstoplaces,whichcouldnotbecoveredwithdirectfire.
Finnishtroopstheseminesmostlywithpressureactivatedfuses,butalsopull
activatedfuseswereused.Electricalfusesdoesn'tseemtohavebeenusedbyFinnish

troops,sinceFinnishmanualsdon'tmentionthematall.Finlandbougthatleast
50,000oftheseminesfromGermanyafterWinterWar.Finnishtroopstypically
installedtheseminesusuallywithabout2meterdistancebetweenindividualmines.
WhenitcomestoreliabilitytheFinnishexperienceswereveryfavourable.Themines
proveddifficulttodestroywithartilleryfireandlongtermreliabilitywasexcellent.
AccordingestimatesgatheredinMayof1944still5080%ofpommiansam/41
Swerefullyfunctionalafterfullyearofbuildingtheminefieldcontainingthem.
However,duetotheeffectivenessofthesemines,unlikewithotherlandmines,using
theminminefieldsbuiltinsideownpositionswasstrictlyforbidden.Duetohighprice
theFinnstrieddevelopingtheirownrathersimilar,butsimplerdomesticantipersonnel
mineduringContinuationWar,buttheprojectprovedtobeafailure.
FinnishsmallscaletestingdonebyEngineerDepartmentIofFinnishArmedForces
GHQinDecemberof1941showsthattheprimarychargewentoffabout4.5seconds
aftertheminesweretriggeredasplannedandworkedasintended.Howevertheheight
onwhichmainexplosiveschargedetonatedvariedquiteconsiderably,withdetonation
heightvaryingaboutinbetween0.53meters.Numberoftargetshadbeenplacedin
similarpatternaroundeachminefortestingfragementationpattern.Theresults
suggestthatthoseminesthatdetonatedtoohighwereconsiderablylessleathalthan
thosethatdetonatedinabouttheintendedheight,sincetheminedetonatingtoheight
of3metersproducedlessthanhalfofhitsthattheminesdetonatingincorrectheight
producedtotargets.