Engineering ammunition of the sun of the Russian Federation. Marking of engineering ammunition of the Soviet army. Standard shaped charge ring explosive - KPC

Artillery ammunition includes shells fired from cannons and howitzers, mortar mines, and rockets.

It is very problematic to classify in any way the artillery ammunition used during the war years on the fronts.

The most common classification is by caliber, purpose and design.

USSR: 20, 23, 37, 45, 57, 76, 86 (unitary), 100, 107, 122, 130, 152, 203 mm, etc. (separate charging)

However, there are cartridges for the DShK-12.7 mm machine gun, the bullet of which is a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. Even a 7.62 mm caliber rifle bullet (the so-called sighting and incendiary) PBZ model 1932 is, in essence, a very dangerous explosive projectile.

Germany and allies: 20, 37, 47, 50, 75, 88, 105, 150, 170, 210, 211, 238, 240, 280, 305, 420 mm, etc.

By purpose, artillery ammunition can be divided into: high-explosive, fragmentation, high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing, armor-piercing (cumulative), concrete-piercing incendiary, buckshot, shrapnel, special-purpose (smoke, lighting, tracer, propaganda, chemical, etc.)

It is extremely difficult to separate ammunition according to the national characteristics of the belligerents. The USSR was armed with British, American ammunition supplied under Lend-Lease, stocks of the tsarist army, suitable for trophy caliber. The Wehrmacht and the Allies used ammunition from all European countries, also captured.

A warehouse (field) was found near Spasskaya Polista in a German howitzer position of 105 mm, and in it: German shells, Yugoslav shells, fuses - manufactured by the Czech factory "Skoda".

In the area of ​​Luga, on the German position in July 1941, the Nazis shot our tanks from 75 mm guns with armor-piercing shells, the shells of which were equipped with Soviet KV-4 primer bushings of 1931 release. Finnish army in 1939-40 and in 1941-44, which officially did not have artillery of medium and large caliber, widely used captured Soviet guns and ammunition. Often there are Swedish, English, American, Japanese, from the stocks of the Principality of Finland before 1917.

It is also impossible to separate the shells used by the fuses installed on them.

Most of the Soviet fuses (RGM, KTM, D-1), developed back in the early thirties and by the way still in service, were very perfect, easy to manufacture and had wide unification - they were used in shells and mines of various calibers. Probably, it would be necessary to classify according to the degree of danger at the present time, but unfortunately statistics of accidents are not kept anywhere, and they are often maimed and die because of their own curiosity, recklessness and elementary ignorance of safety precautions.

Most of the shells used had a percussion setting, head and bottom fuses were used. According to army rules, a projectile that has fallen from a height of 1 meter is not allowed to be fired and must be destroyed. How, then, to deal with shells that have lain for 50 years in the ground, often with decomposed explosives, abandoned due to the impossibility of their use in battle, scattered explosions that have fallen from wagons.

Worthy of special attention are shells and mines of unitary loading, i.e. projectiles combined with a cartridge case like a rifle cartridge, but lying separately, without a cartridge case. This occurs, as a rule, as a result of mechanical impact, and in most cases, such VPs are on a combat platoon.

The fired but not exploded shells and mines are extremely dangerous. In places where hostilities were fought in winter, they fell into soft snow, into a swamp and did not explode. You can distinguish them by the traces of an artillery shell that has passed through the bore (a distinctive feature is traces of depressed rifling on the copper leading belt,

and mines - on a pinned expelling charge primer on the back. Ammunition with a deformed body is especially dangerous, and especially with a deformed fuse, especially with dried explosive salts protruding on the surface of the fuse or at the place of its threaded connection.

Even neatly stored ammunition in combat positions requires special care - it is possible to install tension and unloading mines, decomposition of explosives with time and moisture. A projectile sticking out of the ground upside down can be either past the bore and unexploded, or set as a mine.

Armor-piercing tracer shells for 45 mm and 57 mm guns (USSR)

The armor-piercing tracer is designed for direct fire at tanks, armored vehicles, embrasures and other armored targets.

It is infamous due to the numerous accidents that have occurred due to careless handling. It has the official name "Unitary cartridge with an armor-piercing tracer blunt-headed projectile with a ballistic tip BR-243".

The unitary cartridge index is applied to the sleeve - UBR-243. Occasionally there is a sharp-headed projectile BR-243K. According to the device and the degree of danger, the shells are the same. The tetryl checker has a weight of 20 g. The power of the explosion is explained by the thick walls of the projectile made of alloy steel and the use of a powerful explosive. An explosive charge and a fuse with an aluminum tracer are located at the bottom of the projectile. MD-5 combined with a tracer is used as a fuse.

The so-called "blank" was also in service - outwardly almost indistinguishable from the above, but practically safe. In particular, a similar ammunition for the 57 mm gun was called "Unitary cartridge with armor-piercing tracer solid projectile BR-271 SP". It is not always possible to read the markings on a rusted projectile. Better not to tempt fate. Armor-piercing shells found separately from the shells, and especially those that have passed through the bore, are especially dangerous. Even breathing on them should be done carefully.

Perhaps the requirements for handling "forty-heel armor-piercing" are applicable to all armor-piercing shells, both ours and German.

Ammunition for 37mm German anti-tank guns

They occur as often as domestic 45 mm armor-piercing shells and are no less dangerous. They were used for firing from a 3.7 cm Pak anti-tank gun and are colloquially called "Pak" shells. Projectile - armor-piercing tracer 3.7 cm Pzgr. In the bottom part it has a chamber with an explosive charge (PETN) and a bottom fuse Vd.Z. (5103 *) d. inertial action with gas-dynamic deceleration. Projectiles with this fuze often failed to fire when hit in soft ground, but fired projectiles are extremely dangerous to handle. In addition to the armor-piercing projectile, the ammunition load of the 37 mm anti-tank gun included fragmentation tracer shells with the head fuse AZ 39. These shells are also very dangerous - according to the directive of the GAU of the Red Army, firing such shells from captured guns is prohibited. Similar fragmentation tracer shells were used for 37 mm anti-aircraft guns (3.7 cm Flak.) - "Flak" shells.

Mortar shots

On the battlefield, mortar mines of calibers are most often found: 50 mm (USSR and Germany), 81.4 mm (Germany), 82 mm (USSR), 120 mm (USSR and Germany). Occasionally there are 160 mm (USSR and Germany), 37 mm, 47 mm. When removing from the ground, it is necessary to follow the same safety rules as with artillery shells. Avoid impacts and sudden movements along the axis of the mine.

The most dangerous all types of mines that have passed the bore (a distinctive feature is the impaled primer of the main propellant charge). The German jumping 81.4 mm model 1942 mine is extremely dangerous. It can explode even when trying to extract it from the ground. Distinctive features - the hull, unlike conventional fragmentation mines, is brick red, painted gray, sometimes a black (70 mm) strip across the hull, the head of the mine above the obturating belts is removable, with 3 fixing screws.

Very dangerous are Soviet 82 and 50 mm mines with an M-1 fuse that did not even go through the bore, for some reason they ended up on a combat platoon. A distinctive feature is an aluminum cylinder under the cap. If a red stripe is visible on it - mine on cocking!

Here are the performance characteristics of some mortars and ammunition for them.

1. 50 mm mortar was in service with the Red Army in the initial period of the war. Six-blade mines with a solid and split body and four-blade mines were used. Fuzes were used: M-1, MP-K, M-50 (39g.).

2. 82 mm battalion mortar model 1937, 1941, 1943 The radius of continuous destruction by fragments is 12 m.
Designations of mines: 0-832 - fragmentation six-pronged mine; 0-832D - fragmentation ten-point mine; D832 - ten-point smoke mine. The weight of mines is about 3.1-3.3 kg, the explosive charge is 400 gr. M1, M4, MP-82 fuses were used. It was in service, but a campaign mine was not included in the ammunition load. Mines were delivered to the troops in boxes of 10 pieces.

3. 107 mm mountain pack regimental mortar. He was armed with high-explosive fragmentation mines.

4. 120 mm regimental mortar model 1938 and 1943 High-explosive fragmentation cast-iron mine OF-843A. Fuzes GVM, GVMZ, GVMZ-1, M-4. Bursting charge weight - 1.58 kg.

Smoke cast-iron mine D-843A. The fuses are the same. Contains explosive and smoke-forming substance. It differs by the index and by the black annular stripe on the case under the centering bulge.

Incendiary cast-iron mine TRZ-843A. Fuse M-1, M-4. The weight of the mine is 17.2 kg. Differs in the index and in the red annular band.

German mine 12 cm.Wgr.42. Fuse WgrZ38Stb WgrZ38C, AZ-41. Weight - 16.8 kg. Very similar to domestic. The difference is that the head part is sharper. On the head of the mine are marked: place and date of equipment, equipment code, weight category, place and date of final equipment. The AZ-41 fuse was set to instantaneous "O.V." and slow "m.V."

More than once or twice in recent years, our mass media, especially television, have hysterically informed the broad masses about the “criminally negligent attitude of the military towards ammunition”, about “another deadly find”, about those discovered in the forest (at a shooting range, an abandoned military camp, on exercise venue), etc. etc. shells, rockets, mines. Very willingly and in detail, television shows these "terrible finds", interviews excited inhabitants, stigmatizes "criminals in uniform", demands that the "blatant bungling" be investigated and those responsible be severely punished. By the way, for some reason, yesterday's students are especially excited, who received a minimum of military training in military departments, but who imagine themselves to be major experts in military affairs.

And every time, my eye habitually fixes with boredom the white stripes on the shells of the mines, the distinct inscriptions "inert", the black color of the "unexploded" shells. All these finds are no more dangerous than an old harrow, or, say, an old (out of order) typewriter.

In this article, the author wants to try to teach non-military people to distinguish training, completely harmless engineering ammunition from really dangerous combat mines, fuses. Maybe then someone will not have to, leaving an exciting mushroom picking or throwing a rake, grabbing their children in an armful, rush to the phone to notify the authorities about the find. Or vice versa, you don’t have to put your life in mortal danger, bringing home a small elegant gray shell with black letters (it’s a sin to hide, it happens that the shell doesn’t fly where it’s supposed to, and the valiant army lost entire rockets).

First of all, in contrast to artillery training (inert) ammunition, which, to distinguish them from combat ones, are painted not in gray, but in black, in contrast to naval ammunition, in which the warhead of training torpedoes, mines, shells, missiles is painted red -white color, engineering ammunition, both combat and training, training and simulation are painted the same way. The color of engineering ammunition can be different - green, black, dirty yellow, brown, gray, bare metal, etc.

It is possible to distinguish between combat and training (inert), training and simulation engineering ammunition by marking.

Small-sized ammunition such as fuses, blasting caps, electric detonators, on which it is impossible to place alphanumeric markings, have the following distinguishing features:
* training (inert) - white stripe;
* training and simulation - red stripe. These ammunition, when fired, either give off a flash of flame, or colored smoke, or make a sharp sound, a pop. It is impossible to suffer much from them, but it is possible to get injured.
* combat - without colored stripes. These items are deadly.

The figure shows the detonator caps No. 8 in full size. Two upper combat (aluminum above, copper below). The third from the top is training, the lowest is training and simulation. You just want to turn these beautiful shiny silver or golden tubes in your hands, sort them out, play with them, children often take them in their mouths. The result of the explosion in the hands of the detonator cap is three severed fingers and a gouged eye (standard!). Caps, igniters, electric detonators, fuses have exactly the same marking.

Recently, some small-sized training ammunition began to be marked with the letter And. For example, PFM-1 training mines are marked this way.

Anti-tank mines made of metal and wood are usually painted green (rarely dirty yellow). The mines are marked on the side of the body with black paint. The top number indicates the item number. Below is the code of the product. Usually this is the brand of mine (TM-46, TMD-B, etc.). Even lower is the triple number, written with hyphens. The first number is the number of the equipment factory, the second is the number of the batch of mines, the third is the year the mine was equipped. At the very bottom, the code of the explosive used in the mine is indicated. Usually you can find the following ciphers: A-50, A-80, G, PVV-4, MS, TGA, TG-50, TG-30, T, Tetr, TN. These or other alphanumeric combinations just indicate that this is a military mine. The training mine in place of the BB cipher has a white horizontal stripe.

Training mines TM-62M and all mines of later developments, in addition, on the side of the body still have a black inscription INERT., or INERTN., or INERT.

Training mines are equipped with a mixture of cement and rosin. This the mixture is identical in weight and volume to TNT, but it is absolutely not dangerous.

The upper part of the training mines TM-46, in addition, is painted white, as shown in the figure, where the training mine TM-46 is shown on the left, the combat mine on the right. Mines TM-57 and later do not have white coloring of the upper part of the hull.

Exactly the same markings on plastic cases. On cases of anti-tank mines made of polyethylene, where the paint does not hold well, the markings may be embossed, i.e. having no color. However, a white stripe is also applied on the polyethylene cases of training mines.

Other placement of markings on anti-tank mines is also possible (for example, on the bottom of the hull or on its upper part). However, in all cases, the body of the training mine will have at least a white stripe or the inscription "inert" or both at the same time.

On anti-personnel mines, the marking is the same, but placed in place, i.e. where it is more convenient to do so. The figure shows a training anti-personnel mine PMN. The marking is placed on the rubber cover. The inscription "inert" and a white stripe are clearly visible. At the PMN combat mine, the explosive font is placed in place of the white stripe.

Engineer ammo boxes are usually painted dark green, rarely unpainted. The side wall is marked with black paint. The top row - the code of the product and the number of products in the box, below, through hyphens, the code of the manufacturer, batch number, year of manufacture, below the code of the explosive with which the products are equipped. For boxes with training ammunition, "INERT" is written in this place and an additional white stripe is applied on the side. For boxes with imitation ammunition, the stripe is red. Below all the gross weight of the box. In addition to these mandatory markings, boxes can be marked with a cargo capacity in the form of a black triangle with a number in the center (for civilian transport organizations), warning labels (such as: "When transporting by plane, pierce with an awl here", "Afraid of dampness", "Do not turn over", "Flammable cargo", etc.). If different products are packed in one box (for example, TNT checkers of different nomenclature), then their codes and quantities are also indicated on the box.

In the picture on the left is a box with combat mines TM-46, on the right with training ones.

In all cases, inert and live ammunition are not placed together in the same box.

On anti-personnel mines (such as PMD-6M, POMZ-2M), which are manufactured or equipped with explosives and fuses in the troops (and this is allowed only in wartime), there may not be any markings at all. Also, any marking may be absent on Soviet engineering ammunition from the Second World War.

Sources

1. Guide to demolition work. Start approved. eng. Troops of the USSR Ministry of Defense 27.07.67. Military publishing house. Moscow. 1969
2. Manual on military engineering for the Soviet Army. Military publishing house. Moscow. 1984
3. Engineering ammunition. Book one. Military publishing house. Moscow. 1976
4. B.V. Varenyshev and others. Textbook. Military engineering training. Military publishing house. Moscow. 1982
5. B.S. Kolibernov and others. Handbook of an officer of engineering troops. Military publishing house. Moscow. 1989

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From the author An old typewriter, if it's in good working order, is far more dangerous than any mine. It is impossible to imagine how much deadly poison a typewriter, falling into the experienced hands of a green (dollar) journalist, can throw into the brains of people.

Engineering ammunition - means of engineering weapons containing explosives and pyrotechnic compositions. They were divided into explosives, explosive charges and engineering mines.

Explosive(BB) - an individual chemical substance or a mixture of several substances that can spontaneously or as a result of external influence explode with the release of heat and the formation of highly heated gases. Depending on the chemical composition and external conditions, explosives can be converted into reaction products in the modes of slow (deflagration) combustion, rapid (explosive) combustion, or detonation. Traditionally, explosives also include compounds and mixtures that do not detonate, but burn at a certain speed (propellant gunpowder, pyrotechnic compositions). Pyrotechnic the substance is intended to produce an effect in the form of heat, fire, sound, or smoke, or a combination of these, as a result of self-sustaining exothermic chemical reactions occurring without detonation.

The characteristics of explosives include: explosive transformation rate (detonation rate or burning rate); detonation pressure; heat (specific heat) of the explosion; composition and volume of gaseous products of explosive transformation; maximum temperature of explosion products (explosion temperature); sensitivity to external influences; critical detonation diameter; critical detonation density.

Explosives are classified according to a number of criteria.

The composition distinguishes: individual chemical compounds and explosive mixtures-composites. The composition of explosives also includes various regulatory additives to change physical and chemical processes.

By physical state: gaseous; liquid; gel-like; suspension; emulsion and solid. In military affairs, mainly solid explosives were used: monolithic (thol), powdered (RDX), granular (ammonium nitrate explosives), plastic, elastic. Plastic explosives were a relatively new type and were used to a limited extent, but in England, Germany and the USA. Three types of plastic explosives were produced in Germany under the Hexoplast brand. For example, "hexoplast-75" is known, containing 75% RDX, 20% liquid mixture of dinitrotoluenes, 3.7% TNT and 1.3% nitrocellulose. In England, a plastic explosive was produced under the designation "PE-2", consisting of 87.7% RDX, 6.2% mineral oil, 4.1% paraffin oil, 0.5% lecithin and 1.5% carbon black. The soot was a modifier that prevented the oil from spreading at elevated temperatures typical of the tropics. "PE-2" was widely used by special units of Great Britain against Germany. In the USA, plastic explosives were produced on the basis of the British one under the designation "C-1" and "C-2". It contained 77% RDX and 23% plasticizer - a eutectic mixture of 12% dinitrotoluene, 5% TNT, 2.7% mononitrotoluene, 0.3% nitrocellulose and 1% residual solvent - dimethylformamide.

According to the form of the explosion, they are distinguished: initiating (primary) and blasting (secondary). Initiating explosives were intended to initiate explosive transformations in charges of other explosives. They were distinguished by increased sensitivity and easily exploded from simple initial impulses (impact, friction, prick with a sting, electric spark). They were based on: mercury fulminate, lead azide, lead trinitroresorcinate, tetrazene, diazodinitrophenol and other substances with a high detonation velocity (over 5000 m/s). In military affairs, they were used to equip igniter caps, primer bushings, ignition tubes, various electric igniters, artillery and explosive blasting caps, electric detonators, etc. They were also used in various pyroautomatic devices: pyrochargers, squib cartridges, pyro locks, pyro pushers, pyromembrane, pyrostarters , catapults, explosive bolts and nuts, pyro-cutters, self-liquidators. Brisant substances had a high speed of propagation of the blast wave in the substance. They are less sensitive to external influences, and excitation of explosive transformations in them was carried out with the help of initiating explosives. Various nitro compounds (TNT, nitromethane, nitronaphthalenes), N-nitramines (tetryl, hexogen, octogen), alcohol nitrates (nitroglycerin, nitroglycol), cellulose nitrates, etc. were usually used as brisant explosives. Often these compounds are used as mixtures between themselves and with other substances. Many of these compounds also have explosive properties and under certain conditions can detonate.

According to the method of preparation of charges, explosives were divided into: pressed, cast (explosive alloys) and cartridgeed.

During the Second World War, more than 10 million tons of explosives of all kinds were produced in the warring countries.

Explosives- special mechanisms and devices for excitation (initiation) of an explosion of explosive charges and engineering mines. These included igniter caps, blasting caps, electric igniters, electric detonators, detonating and igniter cords, incendiary tubes, fuses and mine fuses. According to the principle of action, mechanical, electrical, radio engineering and chemical means of blasting were distinguished. They could be instant or delayed action.

Depending on the source of transmission of the initial impulse to the explosive charge, the means of blasting were divided into four groups: means of fire blasting (detonator caps, fire cords, incendiary cartridges and means of igniting fire cords); means of electrical blasting (electric detonators, connecting wires, current sources and instrumentation); means of electric fire blasting: (blasting caps, fire cords and electric igniters); means of blasting with the help of detonating cords (detonating cord and means of fire, electric or electric fire blasting).

Under primer-igniter understood a primer, similar to the primer of a small arms cartridge, sufficient in power to initiate the detonation of an explosive directly or by means of a fuse or a fuse.

blasting cap- a device for initiating the detonation of explosives from a igniter cord. It was a metal (steel, copper, aluminum) or paper sleeve, equipped with initiating explosives. The bottom of the sleeve could be flat or concave (with a cumulative funnel). The sleeve was filled with explosive about 2/3 of its length, the unfilled part served to introduce a igniter cord.

Electric igniter- a device representing an incandescent bridge with a drop of combustible composition applied to it. When a current is passed through it, the droplet instantly burns out and causes the detonation of the primary initiating explosive or ignition of the core of the igniter cord. As a rule, the electric igniter was part of the electric detonator. Electric igniters were more often used in blasting. Their advantage consisted in producing an explosion from any distance, ensuring the simultaneous detonation of charges, as well as at intervals in series, etc. The disadvantages of this blasting method were the complexity of preparing electrical networks, splicing wires, the danger of eliminating failed charges and explosion from stray currents, and the high cost of blasting tools.

Electric detonator- a device for creating an initial detonation pulse and initiating an explosive chemical reaction in the bulk of the explosive charge. The electric detonator was detonated electrically. Electric detonators were divided into "spark" and "incandescent". In spark electric detonators, the "activation" of the initiating explosive occurred under the influence of an electric arc current flowing between special electrodes. In this case, the “supplying” voltage reached values ​​of the order of several thousand volts. In "incandescent" electric detonators, "activation" occurred under the influence of an electric current flowing through the incandescent bridge. According to the response time, electric detonators were divided into "instantaneous", "short-delayed" and "slowed down". As a rule, the electric detonator consisted of a detonator cap and an electric igniter. It was widely used to explode electric detonators. explosive machine (subversive)- a portable source of electric current. The principle of its operation is based on the accumulation of electrical energy from a source of direct or alternating current and its rapid return to the explosive network at the time of the explosion. There were such types of explosive machines: magnetoelectric, dynamoelectric and capacitor. The latter are the most widely used.

detonating cord- a device for transmitting an initiating pulse to a distance to initiate detonation in explosive charges. The initiating impulse is usually excited by a blasting cap and transmitted by a detonating cord to one, more often to several charges, which must work simultaneously. The cord was also used to transmit momentum from one charge to another. It was an elastic waterproofed tube, polymer or consisting of several filament or fiberglass braids with an explosive core. The rate of detonation of numerous types and brands of detonating cord is different. The cord did not detonate from impact or open fire.

Fuse- a means for transmitting a fire impulse to a detonator cap or powder charge. There were several types of cord: wick, stop, fickford cord. The wick was a cotton rope impregnated with a solution of acetate or lead nitrate. Its burning rate is only 1 cm in 2-3 minutes. Stopin powder - a bunch of cotton threads soaked in potassium nitrate and smeared on the outside with a creamy mixture of powder pulp with glue. Burning speed ~ 4 cm/sec. Encased in a paper tube (stop drive), it served to quickly transfer fire, since its burning speed was more than 1 m / s.

All these types of cords were vulnerable to moisture, in addition, they gave a weak flame force. In the fickford cord, the stop, covered with powder pulp, was enclosed in a double textile braid, the top layer, which served to protect against dampness, was impregnated with bitumen. Stopin ensured the stability of the burning of the cord, the powder pulp provided sufficient flame strength, the double braid the flexibility and integrity of the core, bitumen, in addition to protecting against dampness, also allowed the powder gases to break out during combustion, and oxygen to enter the combustion zone. However, the fickford cord also had a number of disadvantages: it was extinguished in water, the burning rate was unstable, bitumen cracked and lost its qualities at low temperatures.

In later cords, the stop was replaced by a guide thread twisted from three cotton threads, each of which had a different impregnation. This ensured accurate control of the burning rate of the cord. The pyrotechnic composition with which the cord was filled did not need external oxygen and burned without an open flame. The outer diameter of the cord is 4-6 mm. The burning rate is about 1 cm/s. The transfer of combustion between the contacting segments of the cords was excluded.

incendiary tube- a device consisting of a detonator cap fastened in a sleeve with a piece of igniter cord for fire or electric fire initiation of a single explosive charge.

fuse- a mechanical-chemical device for igniting a charge during mine and blasting operations. The fuses are instant or delayed action.

Fuse- a device designed to detonate the main charge of a mine. According to the principle of operation, fuses were divided into contact, remote, non-contact, command, as well as combined action. Contact explosive devices were intended to provide contact action, that is, triggering due to the contact of the ammunition with a target or obstacle. According to the response time, contact fuses were divided into three types: instant action (0.05-0.1 ms); inertial action (1-5 ms); delayed action (from microseconds to several days); multi-installation (they may have not one, but several settings for the response time). Proximity fuses were used to provide non-contact action, that is, the fuse was triggered due to interaction with a target or obstacle without contact with the ammunition. These included magnetic, radio fuses, sentries, electromechanical.

Demolition charges were structurally designed (checkers, briquettes, etc.), defined by volume and mass, the amount of explosives produced by industry. They were intended for blasting during the fortification of positions and areas in conditions of frozen soils and rocks, the construction of barriers and making passages in them, as well as the destruction and destruction of objects and structures. The shape is concentrated, elongated and cumulative. As a rule, explosive charges have shells, nests for explosives, devices and devices for carrying and fastening on objects undermined. For the explosion of charges, as a rule, fire or electric methods were used. Mine clearing charges were intended for making passages in minefields.

engineering mines were explosive charges, structurally combined with the means for their detonation. They were intended for the installation of explosive barriers in order to destroy enemy manpower and equipment, destroy roads and various structures.

Mines are classified according to a number of criteria.

According to their purpose, mines were divided into three main groups: anti-tank, anti-personnel and special. In turn, special mines included: anti-vehicle (railway, road, airfield), anti-airborne, object, signal, traps, special. It should be noted that military personnel of all branches of the armed forces were required to be able to use anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, and only sappers worked with all other mines.

According to the method of causing harm, the mines were divided into: high-explosive (inflict defeat by the force of the explosion); fragmentation (inflict damage with fragments of their body or ready-made lethal elements (balls, rollers, arrows); cumulative (inflict defeat with a cumulative jet or impact core).

According to the degree of controllability, guided and unguided mines were distinguished. The essence of controllability was to switch the operator from the control panel of the target sensor to a combat or safe position. Management could be carried out by command radio or wire line. Guided mines allowed their troops to pass through themselves or to be triggered selectively on command.

According to the type of target sensor, mines are: push action (triggered when the sensor is pressed by a machine or a person), tension action (mine triggered when the wire sensor is pulled); breakaway action (triggered when the integrity of a thin low-strength wire is violated);
magnetic (triggered by the influence of the magnetic field of the machine on the sensor), inclined action (triggered when the antenna (rod) deviates from the vertical position by the machine body) and seismic action (triggered by shaking, ground vibration). Various combinations of target sensors are possible, and it is not necessary that the operation of the target sensor cause the mine to explode. The operation of one target sensor may have the task of activating the sensor of the second stage. Typically, the stepwise use of sensors is aimed at saving the resource of the main target sensor or power supply. There were target sensors with multiplicity elements. Such a sensor initiates a mine only on the second or subsequent impact of the target on the mine.

A mine may have not one, but two or three target sensors, each of which can trigger the mine independently of the others.

According to the time of bringing into the combat position, the mines are divided into two main groups: those brought into the combat position instantly after the removal of the safety blocking devices; brought into combat position after the removal of safety blocking devices after a certain period of time (from 2 minutes to 72 hours).

By recoverability and neutralization, mines are divided into: recoverable decontaminated (a mine can be removed from a combat platoon, and then removed); retrievable non-defeatable (a mine can be removed and then blown up without causing damage or in a safe place, it is impossible to defuse); non-recoverable non-disposable (if you try to remove it, an explosion will occur; such a mine is blown up on the spot, or, one by one, the elements of non-removability are neutralized).

Mines may or may not have a self-destruct system. Self-destruction provides for, after a specified period of time or upon the occurrence of certain conditions (certain temperature, humidity, radio signal, wired signal), the production of a mine explosion or the transfer of the fuse to a safe position.

The self-neutralization system provides for the transfer of the fuse to a safe position after a specified period of time or upon the occurrence of certain conditions (certain temperature, humidity, radio signal, wired signal).

According to the method of installation, mines are distinguished: manually installed by soldiers, sappers, by means of mechanization (tracked and trailed mine spreaders) or remote mining (rocket, aviation, artillery systems). As a rule, most of the mines laid by means of mechanization can be placed manually and vice versa. Remote mines are usually used only by this method of delivery and installation.

Mines are serial and homemade, the latter can be made from shells, bombs and similar ammunition, from explosive charges and various submunitions. They could have a sector of directed defeat and circular. Mines of directional destruction were placed on the paths of movement of the enemy, they covered their positions, approaches to objects. They were considered very convenient for organizing booby traps.

Below we consider the characteristics, design and use of some types of mines in more detail.

anti-tank mine was intended to destroy or disable enemy tanks and other armored vehicles. Distinguished anti-track (destroy tracks, wheels, and thereby deprive the tank of mobility), anti-bottom (pierce the bottom of the tank and cause a fire in it, detonation of ammunition, failure of the transmission or engine, death or injury of crew members), anti-aircraft (pierce the side of the tank and cause a fire in it, detonation of ammunition, failure of the transmission or engine, death or injury of crew members) and anti-roof mines (hit the tank from above).

anti-personnel mines designed to destroy or disable enemy personnel. As a rule, these mines are unable to cause significant damage to enemy tanks, armored vehicles and vehicles. The maximum is to damage the car wheel, trim, glass, radiator. Mines were placed as part of anti-personnel or combined minefields, in groups and individual mines, they covered the approach to their positions and objects, the withdrawal of their units or blocked the paths of movement behind enemy lines, fettered his maneuver or forced him to move into a "fire bag", "protected" anti-tank mines, used as traps or means of undermining land mines, and so on.

Anti-vehicle mines were intended to destroy or disable enemy vehicles moving along transport routes (roads, railways, parking lots, runways and platforms, taxiways of airfields). They could also disable both unarmored and armored vehicles. These mines are not intended to destroy or injure personnel, although very often damage to vehicles leads to the simultaneous defeat of personnel.

The design features of anti-vehicle mines made it possible to use many of them as multi-purpose mines. As a rule, as objective mines, i.e. mines that explode after a certain predetermined period of time, or are exploded by the operator from the control panel via a command wire or radio link. Often, magnetic mines were used as such mines, which were fixed on an object (wagon, ship, tank) with the help of magnets.

Antiamphibious the mine was installed under water in the coastal zone of reservoirs in order to combat floating military equipment and landing ships. The destruction or injury of personnel for this type of mine is a side, secondary result of the operation of the mine.

Object mines were intended for destruction or incapacitation, damage to various fixed or moving enemy objects. The destruction or incapacitation of personnel was usually an incidental, but not an accidental task of object mines. And in a number of cases, the destruction or damage of an object was carried out with the aim of inflicting maximum losses on both personnel and combat and other equipment of the enemy. Mines were set only manually.

Signal mines are not designed to destroy or damage anyone or anything. Their task is to give out the presence of the enemy in a given place, to designate it, to draw attention to this place of their units. In terms of size, characteristics, installation methods, signal mines are close to anti-personnel mines.

The following mine signals are distinguished: sound (when triggered, they emit loud sounds that can be heard at a considerable distance); light (when triggered, they give bright flashes of light, or a bright light burns for a certain time, or the mine throws up lighting rockets (stars); smoke (when triggered, a cloud of colored smoke forms); combined (sound and light, sometimes smoke); radio signal ( transmit a signal about the detection to the control panel.The signal mines did not have explosives, the systems of self-destruction (self-neutralization) too.All signal mines, as a rule, are transferred to the combat position instantly after the removal of the safety blocking devices

Booby traps (surprises) were intended to disable or destroy enemy personnel, equipment, weapons, objects; creating an atmosphere of nervousness, fear in the enemy (minophobia); deprivation of his desire to use local or abandoned (captured) household items, premises, means of communication, machines, devices, fortifications, captured weapons and ammunition and other objects; suppression of enemy work on the neutralization of mines of other types, clearance of terrain or objects. As a rule, booby traps were triggered as a result of an attempt by the enemy to use household items, premises, means of communication, machines, devices, fortifications, captured weapons and ammunition, and other objects; clear the area, objects, neutralize mines of other types. Such mines were divided into two main types: non-provoking (they work when trying to use an object, neutralize a mine of a different type, etc.); provocative (their behavior prompted the enemy to perform actions that would lead to a mine explosion. The types of target sensors are diverse and are determined by the design features of each specific sample of a booby trap. Basically, they can be divided into the following types: devices); unloading action (triggered when trying to lift an object, open a box, box, open a package); reacting to a change in the position of an object with a mine enclosed in it in space (tilt, move, rotate, lift, push); inertial action (triggered when change in the speed of movement of an object with a mine enclosed in it); photo-action (triggered by the action of light on a photosensitive element); seismic action (triggered by the vibration of a person, machine); acoustic action (triggered by a person's voice, motor noise, sound of a shot); thermal actions (triggered by heat lovek, car motor, heating device); magnetic action (triggered when exposed to the magnetic fields of a machine, a metal that a person has); baric action (triggered by the pressure of the environment - air, water). The main installation method is manual. The use of booby traps was of a special, specific nature. The use of mines by their own troops was carefully disguised (including from their own military personnel), and their use by the enemy was advertised and exaggerated in every possible way. This is due, firstly, to great difficulties in determining the moment when this mining can begin (otherwise, losses may be incurred by their own troops); secondly, it is usually impossible to determine subsequently the effectiveness of mining and the degree of harm to the enemy; thirdly, a significant part of these mines inflicted defeat not on enemy soldiers, but on local residents, which in some cases is inexpedient; fourthly, most mines are adapted for use in populated areas, premises, and facilities. The mines used - surprises during the Second World War, were not able to have any noticeable effect on the course of the battle, on deterring the enemy or inflicting significant losses on him. Usually, when they were used after several explosions, the enemy quickly identified the types of surprise mines and avoided being hit by these mines in the future. At most, these mines can make it difficult to use local items, equipment, abandoned weapons, premises.

To the group special mines included those that cannot be more or less unambiguously attributed to any of the above. They are designed to harm the enemy in specific ways. The most common ones were: under-ice (designed to destroy the ice cover of reservoirs in order to exclude the crossing of enemy troops on ice); anti-mine (perform the protective task of conventional minefields, groups of mines, single mines. They are triggered when mine detector fields (magnetic, radio frequency) are exposed to the mine sensor); ); floatable (discharged into the river upstream and explode upon contact with a bridge, dam, lock, watercraft); self-propelled mines. In other respects, special mines are close to anti-tank or anti-personnel mines.

Mining- the process of laying mines in order to inflict losses on the enemy, make it difficult to maneuver, and carry out sabotage. Mines could be used in various ways: the installation of single mines, including booby traps, the creation of minefields. Minefields were usually arranged in such a way that the troops who laid them had the opportunity to completely survey the minefield and shoot through it, preventing the enemy from making passes. Minefields were used in both field and long-term fortification, often in combination with wire and other barriers. They were characterized by the size along the front and in depth, the number of rows of mines, the distance between the rows and mines in the rows, the consumption of mines per 1 km, the probability of hitting manpower and military equipment.

Groups of mines (individual mines) were placed on roads, detours, fords, gats, mountain paths, in hollows, cuts and in settlements. Minefields could consist only of anti-personnel or anti-tank mines, or they could be mixed. In anti-tank minefields, mines were placed in three to four rows with a distance between rows of 20-40 m and between mines in a row of 4-5.5 m for anti-track and 9-12 m for anti-bottom. Their consumption per 1 km of the minefield, respectively, was 750-1000 and 300-400 pieces. Anti-personnel minefields were established from high-explosive and fragmentation mines. They could be installed in front of anti-tank minefields, in front of non-explosive obstacles or in combination with them, and in areas of terrain inaccessible to mechanized troops. Along the front, minefields ranged from several tens to hundreds of meters, and in depth - 10-15 meters or more. Minefields could consist of 2-4 or more rows with a distance between rows of more than 5 m, and between mines in a row for high-explosive mines - at least 1 m. Consumption per 1 km of a minefield - 2-3 thousand minutes. Single mines were often used by various kinds of sabotage groups and partisans, and were installed in the settlements abandoned by the retreating troops. During the war, mining of railways, objects (buildings) and mining of areas (minefields) were used.

Under demining understood the reverse process of mining. To detect mines, mainly a mine detector was used - a device that emits waves of a certain spectrum, and gives a signal to a sapper if the nature of the reflected waves changes. To make it difficult to detect mines during World War II, mines with a glass or wooden case were used. In this regard, specially trained animals with a keen sense of smell - service dogs and even rats - were used to detect them.

Most mines consisted of three main elements - an explosive charge, a fuse and a body. In mines for various purposes, mainly blasting substances that are sensitive to detonation were used. These included products of organic chemistry: TNT, tetryl, hexogen, heating elements, and others, as well as cheap ammonium nitrate explosives. Pyrotechnic compositions were used in signal and incendiary mines. According to the principle of operation, fuses are divided into contact, requiring direct contact with the object, and non-contact, according to the timing of operation - instant and delayed action. The fuse served to directly initiate the detonation of the charge and could be part of the fuse or inserted into the mine separately - when it was installed.

Mine-explosive damage is usually combined, caused by several factors at once, but two are distinguished as the main ones - fragmentation and high-explosive damage. High-explosive action consists in hitting the target with hot high-speed explosion products - at close distances, and then with excess pressure in the front and the velocity head of the shock wave. A fragment weighing only 0.13-0.15 grams was considered lethal at its speed of 1,150 - 1,250 m / s.

Considering the development and production of engineering ammunition, in particular mines, by country, the following can be noted. Mine weapons developed mainly in Germany, Finland and the USSR. It should be noted the high degree of safety of mines and fuses in Germany and the USSR, although their design was often primitive. At the same time, British, American, Italian and French mines and fuses, with the high manufacturability of the structures, required extremely careful handling and qualified training of sappers. The safety of miners when handling mines in Japan was not taken into account at all.

The range of British mine weapons in the field of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines is very small. At the same time, the variety of perfect, exquisite fuses is quite large, which indicates the focus of the British army on mine and sabotage activities. The British began mass production of mines only in 1940. In total, 19.6 million mines were manufactured during the war years, incl. 15.8 million anti-tank mines and 3.7 million anti-personnel mines.

Germany was distinguished by the production of sufficiently advanced and technological mines, explosive charges and fuses. The range of mines produced was quite large and multifunctional. At the same time, their production took into account both the availability of materials and labor, and their functionality. In Germany, during the war years, 76.6 million mines of various types were fired. The literacy of the use of mines by the German troops should also be noted.

In the USSR, when producing mines, the main attention was paid to simplicity and reliability, combined with cheapness and mass production. According to the nomenclature of mines, the USSR surpassed even Germany. A separate direction in the development of mines in the USSR was a mini sabotage direction: anti-vehicle, object and radio-controlled. During the war years, the USSR produced 66.5 million mines of all types, including: 24.8 million anti-tank and 40.4 million anti-tank.

The United States did not pay due attention to mine weapons and only with the outbreak of war began to develop them. In France, mines were practically not produced. In Japan, in the absence of mass production of engineering mines, components of sabotage explosives, incendiaries and booby traps were produced in sufficient quantities to commit sabotage behind enemy lines.

According to expert estimates, the total number of mines fired by all countries during the war exceeded 200 million mines.

The armed forces of the Russian Federation were created taking into account the situation in the world that developed after the collapse of the USSR. In addition to combined arms, there are also special troops that solve their combat missions using special equipment. In the engineering troops, special equipment is engineering ammunition. Their use during combat operations inflicts serious losses on the enemy. You will learn more about engineering ammunition from our article.

Acquaintance

Engineering ammunition is a special means of engineering weapons, but many confuse them with combat. Engineers are equipped with explosives and pyrotechnic compositions. According to the existing classification, engineering munitions are represented by blasting devices, demolition or elongated charges, engineering mines, mine fuses and demining charges. With the help of the latter, the military is laying passages in mined areas.

About explosives

With the help of engineering ammunition of this group, the military initiates charges in explosives and engineering mines. Specialists of the engineering troops have to deal with electric igniters, electric detonators, detonating and igniter cords, incendiary pipes, fuses and mine fuses.

About demolition charges

This type of engineering ammunition of the Armed Forces is a constructively designed explosives produced by the country's military industry. According to experts, when designing engineering ammunition, such parameters as the volume and mass of explosives (explosives) are taken into account. Depending on the form, they are concentrated, elongated and cumulative. Mostly, the charges are equipped with special nests for explosives, devices and devices with the help of which engineering ammunition is transferred and attached to objects.

About engineering mines

In the depots of engineering ammunition there are special explosive charges, which are structurally combined with devices designed to activate them. Such special charges are also called engineering mines. They can be of three types: high-explosive, fragmentation and cumulative. With their help, the military equips mine-explosive barriers. Depending on the purpose, mines are anti-tank, anti-personnel, anti-amphibious and special. Antiamphibious is installed under water at a depth of two meters in coastal areas. Its goal is floating military equipment and landing enemy ships.

With the help of an anti-tank engineering mine, tanks and other armored vehicles are destroyed or disabled. The design of an engineering mine contains an explosive and a fuse. The explosive charge affects the manpower of the enemy or objects are destroyed. In Russia, engineering mines are filled with HMX, RDX, TNT or nitroglycerin gunpowder. These substances are very powerful and inexpensive to produce.

About the mine fuse

It is a special device equipped with all fuse elements. The only exception is the detonator cap, or fuse.

With its help, the explosion of explosives is initiated. Mine fuses can be mechanical, electrical and electromechanical. According to experts, in order to ensure safety during the transportation of engineering ammunition and their operation, these devices are equipped with special elements. In order for the mine to explode, an impact is required, for example, it is enough to press it. Such mines are considered contact mines. This category also includes engineering ammunition with tension, unloading and breaking action. The group of non-contact mines is represented by magnetic, seismic, acoustic, etc.

On the storage of engineering ammunition

Given the high efficiency of engineering munitions, their handling implies certain limitations. For example, throws and impacts are very undesirable, so those who install them on an object that needs to be blown up are advised not to make efforts. This recommendation is also applicable in cases where it is necessary to remove the fuse, fuse and detonator cap from engineering ammunition. In engineering ammunition, it is forbidden to dismantle the case and get the explosive. According to experts, it may happen that an engineering mine is discovered by a civilian. If this happens, then it is impossible to carry out the neutralization and dismantling of engineering ammunition on your own. After discovering the find, you should immediately contact law enforcement agencies. In order to prevent unplanned detonation, engineer ammunition is stored and transported separately from fuses and blasting caps. They must not be set on fire or exposed to high temperatures.

In this section you will be able to get acquainted with various types of ammunition, both modern and those that were used in the past. The range of ammunition used by any modern army is truly enormous. These include artillery shells of various types and purposes, ammunition for armored vehicles, small arms, bombs and rocket weapons of aircraft and helicopters, tactical and anti-aircraft missiles, torpedoes, sea and land mines, grenades and much more.

The device of ammunition differs, they perform different tasks, there are guided and unguided ammunition. Weapons of mass destruction also apply to military supplies: there are nuclear weapons and shells filled with poisonous substances.

Ammunition is one of the most important components of any weapon, which is directly designed to defeat the enemy. It is the characteristics of the ammunition that largely determine the effectiveness of any weapon, the function of which, in essence, is only to fire a shot. The main revolutions in gunsmithing were associated with a significant improvement in ammunition. An example is the invention of a unitary cartridge, the creation of smokeless powder, the appearance of an intermediate cartridge.

The long evolution of ammunition has led to the creation of automatic weapons systems, modern small arms and artillery.

Artillery ammunition has a difficult history. The first guns appeared in Europe around the 13th century, at first they fired stone cannonballs, but gradually the type of artillery ammunition changed. Cast iron and lead cores began to be used, and later explosive ammunition was invented. A real revolution in artillery was the invention of a unitary cartridge and breech-loading guns. The appearance of armored vehicles on the battlefield forced the designers to develop special ammunition to combat it.

In the last century, many types of ammunition were invented: cluster, sub-caliber, cumulative and chemical. The advent of military aviation led to the creation of aerial bombs and missiles.

Missile weapons have a no less long and difficult history. The first rockets were invented in ancient China, they were quite widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the advent of rifled artillery and smokeless powder turned rockets into an anachronism. Only after the First World War, engineers returned to this type of weapon.

Rocket ammunition began to develop rapidly after the next world war, and today rockets are the basis of the armament of any modern army. Both infantrymen on the battlefield and strategic submarines are armed with missiles.

Russia has the latest technologies in the field of rocketry, Russian missiles are considered the best in the world and are in high demand in the global arms market. The main competitor of our country in this area is traditionally the United States. Here you will find a description of the products of the American military-industrial complex and the technical characteristics of US combat missiles.

Today, one of the main directions in the development of ammunition is the creation of guided projectiles, bombs and missiles. The era of carpet bombing and the use of cluster munitions is coming to an end. Each projectile fired must hit the target, in addition, many modern systems work on the principle of "fire and forget." Today, the United States is developing guided bullets for sniper systems. Ammunition is being developed, the work of which is based on unusual physical principles.