Description
Physical description
Parachute for German Parachute Mine consisting of a 27ft diameter green fabric parachute, with opening in centre. Attached to long lengths of coarse green rope. Ropes are attached to a circular metal frame.
Label
Second World War period German land and sea mine.
There were two types of magnetic sea mines used by the the Germans, who termed them the Luftmine A (LMA ) of 500kg, and the Luftmine B (LMB) of 1000kg. They were known by the British Admiralty as the Admiralty Type D and Admiralty Type C respectively. This is an example of the larger mine.
The Luftwaffe began dropping magnetic mines into the waters around Britain during November 1939, first from He115 and He111 aircraft. The mines were cylindrical in shape with a hemispherical nose, and deployed under a 27ft diameter green artificial silk parachute, falling at about 40mph.
They were fitted with magnetic firing and later with acoustic or magnetic/acoustic firing.
When the mine hit the water and sank to more that 8ft, hydrostatic pressure and the disolution of a soluble plug actuated the magnetic device and the mine became operational against shipping.
The mine was also armed with a clockwork bomb fuze which caused the bomb to explode when used against land targets, and this was started by the impact of hitting the ground. The mine was timed to detonate 25 seconds after the fuze had started.
When deployed at sea, the time fuze did not operate as a diaphragm stopped the clockwork when under the pressure of 7 feet of water or more.
The first intentional use of magnetic mines against land targets was on the night of 16 September 1940, when the mines with their charge/weight ratio of 60 - 70 % explosive caused considerable blast damage in built up areas.
Inevitably, they became known to the British populace as 'Land Mines'.
History note
Second World War period German land and sea mine. There were two types of magnetic sea mines used by the the Germans, who termed them the Luftmine A (LMA ) of 500kg, and the Luftmine B (LMB) of 1000kg. They were known by the British Admiralty as the Admiralty Type D and Admiralty Type C respectively. This is an example of the larger mine.
The Luftwaffe began dropping magnetic mines into the waters around Britain during November 1939, first from He115 and He111 aircraft. The mines were cylindrical in shape with a hemispherical nose, and deployed under a 27ft diameter green artificial silk parachute, falling at about 40mph.
They were fitted with magnetic firing and later with acoustic or magnetic/acoustic firing.
When the mine hit the water and sank to more that 8ft, hydrostatic pressure and the disolution of a soluble plug actuated the magnetic device and the mine became operational against shipping.
The mine was also armed with a clockwork bomb fuze which caused the bomb to explode when used against land targets, and this was started by the impact of hitting the ground. The mine was timed to detonate 25 seconds after the fuze had started.
When deployed at sea, the time fuze did not operate as a diaphragm stopped the clockwork when under the pressure of 7 feet of water or more.
The first intentional use of magnetic mines against land targets was on the night of 16 September 1940, when the mines with their charge/weight ratio of 60 - 70 % explosive caused considerable blast damage in built up areas.
Inevitably, they became known to the British populace as 'Land Mines'.
History note
Information from old IWM caption: 'The mine could also be fitted magnetic, acoustic or magnetic-acoustic units, and also be used a time mine or a depth charge. It could be armed by means of a hydrostatic clock which operated when immersed in over eight feet of water and could be set to render the unit active from 15 minutes to six days after the mine was laid, or could be used to detonate the mine after a set period by a hydrostatic switch which completed a circuit and detonated the mine when it was immersed in 40 to 50 feet of water.'