mine, mine, everywhere a mine

8/3/2019 MINE, MINE, EVERYWHERE A MINE

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MINE, MINE EVERYWHERE A MINE

So, awhile back, one of our readers (I believe it was #3) asked me about land

mines. As a military aviator, he had seldom encountered them. I had trained

with them waayyy back in bootcamp, when we had to worry about

brontosaurus stepping on them, and I think the US Armys basic designs

(not counting the Claymore) were, and maybe still are, essentially copies of

German stuff basically unchanged since WWII. Ah, if they had only takenthe same route with the General Purpose Machine Gun.

Landmines as most people think of them from war movies arent often used

in typical "minefield" fashion this day and age, what with all the improvised

explosives used by insurgents, but they still come up, usually used against

us, often in combination with other devices. During the Soviet Afghan-War,

the Russians literally carpeted the place with mines and they were used

extensively in the Balkans and all over Africa as well. Some still remain

active after God only knows how many years. The vast majority were never

mapped, let alone recovered.

Modern western armies either recover their mines or, in the case of aerial

and artillery-seeded minefields, have timers within the mines themselves to

detonate them after a set period. Insurgents now, when using land mines,

usually rely less on the pressure-detonation fuse and more on command-
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detonation using wire, radio, cell phone, or even IR beams. Pressure mines

are often used in conjunction with other IEDs.

In Italy in WWII, German engineers emplaced Teller [anti-tank] mines

inside thin concrete blocks to hide them in stone bridges or streets. Today,

insurgents have taken this ruse to great heights and hide them in every place

imaginable: dead animal carcasses, cars, garbage, street curbs, lamp posts,

burlap bags, animal dung, MRE packages, tires, trash piles, you name it.

Later hiding places included bombs made to look like roadside curbs or

hollow foam structures built and painted to closely resemble large rocks;

some were integrated into lamp posts. In other cases, both crude and

sophisticated devices were used together, the crude offerings being the

throw-aways and/or decoys intended to distract attention from the real threat.

Often, the IEDs were covered by direct fire.

Since WWII, soldiers have found anti-tank mines not good enough out of the

box, and this continues to this day. Usually, two AT mines were stacked,

with a pressure-release booby trap underneath to prevent lifting. In Iraq, up

to four mines were found stacked in hopes of taking out an M1 Abrams.
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Afghan muj fighting the Soviets noted: We liked powerful mines, so we

usually took the explosives from two Egyptian plastic mines and put these

into a single large cooking oil tin container.

Most people, myself included, are in the Don Rickles as Crapgame in

Kellys Heroes Category when it comes to mines. When he finds one by

probing, he shouts that hes found one. Telly Savalis as Big Joe asks him,

What kind is it? Crapgame immediately responds, The kind that blows

up! The ticklish job of clearing mines is not something most people care to

take on, although it has to be done.

Having first been Armored Cav, the obvious response on what to do with the

damn things would be to have an engineer vehicle or a tank equipped with

mine flails or rollers drive through the minefield. The original M3 light tank

of WWII had two extra Browning .30-caliber machine guns, one in asponson on either side of the hull. One tanker recalled using these to shoot

their way through a minefield, firing burst after burst along the path the

tracks would take through the sand. This practice made the quartermaster

officer, and I quote, Whine like a bitch dog in heat. Plus the sponson guns

were removed on the M3A1. The British 8th Army in North Africa countered

one of Rommels extensive, carefully laid minefields by hammering it with

well over a half a million shells from 882 artillery pieces. Shoving a

Bangalore torpedo into a minefield and blowing it has been used for many

decades.

I suspect, however, that our reader(s) were more interested in how

dismounted or light infantry could deal with the problem if they don't have

all the high-tech military stuff readily at hand. For Joseph Stalin and the

Ayatollah Khomeini, the answer was to simply make their infantry run

through the minefields. This is generally not regarded as a very good method

by infantrymen.


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Rather than go into the whole big step-by-step description of what I learnedeons ago, Ill linkie to the probing method. See Appendix A, B, and C. In

fact, the whole manual is worth checking out, even though it dates back to

the Stone Age when my platoon leader was named Og and we fought with

rocks and sticks.

What else has been done? Lots of things, some of which you might not have

thought of. For the modern jihadist, driving a herd of goats or sheep through

a minefield remains popular, even if their love life does suffer afterwards. I

actually found instances of this tactic being used back in WWII.

ITALY: A herd of sheep, hurriedly bought up around the local countryside

in ITALY, was used effectively by the 36th Division Engineers in clearing

an area on the south bank of the RAPIDO River of the Schu [anti-personnel]

mines that had been planted there in great numbers by retreating Germans.

The mined area was under direct small-arms fire of the enemy. The only

apparent method of clearing a path through it was to send men in at night

with steel rods to crawl &mg on their hands and knees and locate each mine

by probing every inch of the ground. This was too slow.

Wanted: 300 Sheep The engineering officer asked the division

quartermaster to provide 300 live sheep. These were made available the next

day. Two Engineer officers and an enlisted man disguised themselves as

native Italian sheepherders and started driving the flock across the mine
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field. Near the end of the field, after a number of mines had been detonated,

the Germans got wise to the ruse and opened fire, the sheepherders taking

cover and withdrawing to safety, But the sheep continued to mill around

in the area exploding many mines. The project was considered successful as

it provided the necessary cleared path to the riverbank.

This was probably the smartest move made in General Mark Clarkes ill-

conceived and disastrous attempt at forcing the Rapido. Today, Bunny

Huggers would no doubt protest such tactics and get them prohibited by

American forces.

Booby-Trap Baton Patrol experts from the 99th. Infantry Division,

FRANCE, report effective use of a magic wand when it was necessary for

small units to cross known minefields not covered with snow: We had

considerable success in detecting the boobies by having one man precede us

through the minefield holding a small stick lightly in his hand at an angle of

45 degrees with the end about 2 inches off the ground. Pressure of the trip

wires against the stick warned him of eight booby traps in 1 day.

Some trip wires are neck high, others only 6 inches or less from the ground.

Remember that if you find one booby trap, there probably are more around.

VC and NVA sappers in Vietnam reportedly crawled through the defensivewire entanglements with a piece of grass or straw held lightly in their lips.

This gave them a way to feel tripwires with the lightest of touches.

A Canadian infantry Recce Platoon Leader made note of these ideas after a

deployment to Afghanistan.

In the planning of routes, the threat of land mines became a

mitigating factor. River and streambeds, or waatis, would have been

the preferred method to scale the steep slopes to reach positions in the

mountains, however, old mines and UXO [Unexploded Ordnance]collect near the waatis with each rain and the spring run off. Chosen

routes then became increasingly more demanding as the more difficult

slopes were felt to be the safest. The main indication of a possible

mine free area, however, was animal dung. If signs of animal dung

could be seen, it was generally believed that the area was relatively

mine free, and as the soldiers trudged up mountainsides, they would


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conduct level one ground clearances of the intended route in front of

them.

Also in Afghanistan, when approaching mined but undefended targets

such as power line pylons, the muj progressed night by night by throwing

large rocks into the minefields until they built a path of stepping stones.

Today, bomb-sniffing dogs are being used by Coalition forces quite

successfully. In WWII, military forces didnt know to teach the dogs to sniff

out the smell of the explosives themselves and trained them to find mines by

evidence of recent digging. This didnt work out very well, especially for the

dogs. Now they not only have mine-sniffing dogs but mine-sniffing rats,

which are much more readily available and you dont really care if they go

up in smoke.

Trio

"On August 1 2008, while working as a forward detection dog in Sangin,

Treo found a 'daisy chain' improvised explosive device (IED) - made of two
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or more explosives wired together - that had been carefully modified and

concealed by the Taliban at the side of a path."

Heres what the Army said about the use of dogs in Vietnam, another warwhere mines and booby traps were a scourge.

Mine Detection Dog

1. This animal is trained to detect mines, booby traps, tunnels,

hides or ammunition caches. The scout dog is trained to detect and sit

within two feet of any hostile artifact hidden below or above ground,

to discover tripwires, caches, tunnels and "punji pits," and to clear a

safe lane approximately eight to ten meters wide.

2. A commander who properly employs a scout dog team can

rely on the dog to safely discover approximately 90 percent of all

hostile artifacts along his line of march. This depends, naturally, on

the state of training of the animal.

3. Since this animal is a specialist in its own right, it is vitally

important that this team be provided with adequate protection while

working. It may be necessary to make use of the patrol dog to give

this added protection.

The Rhodesian Security Force faced an intensive land mine campaign from

the Commie insurgents there. Indiscriminately planted on roads everywhere,

they didnt care who they blew up, military or civilian, black or white. Not

that the self-flagellating Western press bothered to point this out.

Of course the Rhodesians were quick to start countering the threat almost

immediately. They had improvised MRV (Mine Resistant Vehicles) on the

road in less time than it takes for the Pentagon to compose a memo to

suggest perhaps mines might be a threat and if so, what type of donutsshould be served at the exploratory conference to determine if mines actually

have the potential to become a threat. In six years, Rhodesian security forces

were all equipped with purpose-built MRVs, with some 2,000 official

models built. Remember that at the time Rhodesia didnt have much in the

way of industry and were cut off from supplies from the so-called Free

World by UN sanctions.


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The Rhodesian Generation 1 MRV, the Leopard used the inexpensive

and readily available automotive components of the Volkswagen Beetle,

but it was in the hands of the men who needed it within months. It

wasn't pretty or elegant, but the V-shaped blast deflecting hull and roll-

over cage were saving lives in the time it takes for the US Military-

Industrial-Congressional Complexto define "landmine".

The damn things worked, and that's what counted.

"The Rhodesian MRAP efforts to reduce casualties through survivability

clearly speak for themselves. Their extremely detailed mine casualty records

indicate unprotected vehicles suffered a 22 percent kill rate, while 1st and

2nd generation MRAP vehicles only suffered 8 percent casualty rate.

However, 3rd generation MRAP fatality percentages drops to 2 percent

while 4th generation falls below 1 percent. Rhodesian MRAP vehicles

immediately restored the tactical mobility, and operational maneuver criticalto the Fire Force while virtually eliminating casualties. The Rhodesians had

effectively defeated the mine and ambush threat with mild steel, a sound

design, and a philosophy that protecting their forces to improve their

mobility was the key to victory."
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FWIW, heres the section of the Rhodesian ATOPs/COIN manual for

dismounts dealing with mines without MRAPs. The whole manual, BTW, is

worth checking out for its sections on patrolling, man-tracking, ambushes,

security, IA Drills and other light infantry skills. Basic techniques (and

common sense) remain the same, but there may be a few tricks here not

covered in American doctrine which could save somebodys life.

COUNTER-MEASURES AND

PRECAUTIONS

Action by Troops

1. Dismounted troops. The best protection against mines and explosive

devices is a high standard of training and a keenly developed sense of mine

awareness. However, listed below are a few simple rules to assist in

minimizing the dangers of these devices to personnel:

a. Only one man at a time should work on a device while the

remainder remains under cover.

b. When in doubt, always call in the services of a specialist.

c. Redouble precautions when tired or nearing the base on the return.

d. Keep your eyes on the ground when in a suspicious area.

e. Do not rush; time saved is paid for in lives.

f. Expect continuous changes in techniques used by the enemy and be

prepared for them.

g. In dangerous ground be extremely cautious and be very careful with

any suspicious looking object.

h. The man who proceeds incautiously will cause the death of his

comrades.

i. Maintain concentration and strict discipline when working with

mines or other devices.
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j. Never move over suspected ground without good reason and don't

ever be careless or overconfident.

k. Do not be misled or jump to conclusions when the first mines found

are not activated or are simulated.

l. Never:

1. Cut or pull taut wires or cord.

2. Pull a slack wire or cord.

3. Simultaneously cut through two metallic strands.

4. Move in compact groups...

m. Treat every mine or device as being booby-trapped.

n. Do not use the easiest or best sign-posted route without careful

examination.

o. Whenever possible, avoid moving along paths or tracks and avoid

the obvious.

p. Be extremely cautious in the selection of return routes and the use

of newly made paths and/or tracks.

q. Keep up to date with new devices and techniques.

r. Look upon mines as a normal risk of war.

Detection

3. Detection aids. The enemy is very adept at laying mines and explosive

devices and as his skill and cunning improve he makes the detection of these

mines and explosive devices difficult and complicated. However, to detectwhatever he has laid, the following aids and methods may be used:

a. Mine detectors. These vary from the type used to detect any

metallic object buried below the surface of the ground to the more

modern and sophisticated type that will detect any foreign matter

buried below the ground's surface. The effectiveness and efficiency of


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these detectors will depend on the standard of operating, type and

model and the enemy's efforts to counter their effectiveness. When

used by correctly trained technical personnel, they can be most

effective, but because of their limitations they should be used in

conjunction with other detection methods.

b. Mechanical detectors. This type can vary from the flail type to a

type of remote-controlled vehicle or device moving in front of a

vehicle with the intention of detonating any mine or other type of

explosive device that the enemy may have planted in the road or track.

Its effectiveness will be determined by the enemy's mine-laying

techniques.

c. Improvised means. This is probably the most expedient method,

bearing in mind the effectiveness and availability of the above-mentioned equipment. This method can be carried out by making use

of a prodder or a rake:

1. Prodder. This can be the standard prodder or an improvised

type which is used to prod the ground at an angle or to scratch

the surface to detect any hidden object. Experience in the use of

the prodder will improve its effectiveness.

2. Rake. This is the standard type of rake, but with a longer

handle It is used to scrape the ground's surface to detect anypossible hidden device. To facilitate its handling, it may be

equipped with two small wheels.

d. Users or operators of the above-mentioned equipment must be

relieved frequently to avoid the strain placed on them while operating

the various types of detectors.

4. Detection techniques. The following are the suggested techniques that

may be applied when searching for or endeavoring to detect any concealed

devices:

a. Visual search. Whatever aid is being used, as an added means, a

visual search will improve its effectiveness. The degree of

effectiveness of a visual search will be determined by the experience

of the person or persons concerned, their concentration, patience,

powers of observation and keen sense of awareness. All soldiers must


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be made conscious of this awareness and not leave the detection to the

operators of the various devices only. Although it will not be possible

to mention all the points in this chapter, listed below are a few

examples of what to look for which may indicate the presence of a

buried or concealed device:

1. Disturbed soil or soil with a varying degree of dampness.

2. Stones loosened or moved from their apparent original or

normal position.

3. Smoothed-over soil between tracks and footprints.

4. Soil with suspicious-looking debris such as grass, leaves and

sticks scattered over the surface.

5. Footprints converging at a point in the road.

6. Knee-, hand- or footprints in the soil indicating kneeling

persons. In this case toecap prints will be most pronounced.

7. Vegetation not conforming to its surroundings.

8. Presence of apparent unnecessary cutting of vegetation.

9. Wire or nylon cords, taut or slack.

10. Any type of metallic reflection.

11. Leaves or sticks partially cleaned of normal dirt.

12. Scattered damp soil near wells or drops of water.

b. Dismounted detection. This method is time-consuming and should

it be necessary to cover long distances, a careful appreciation must be

made, bearing in mind the enemy activity and techniques and terrain,

to select the best route that would require the minimum of this type of

detection. Best speed with this method is one and a half to two

kilometers per hour. For maximum effect a mine detector should be

used in conjunction with a prodder. The diagrams below give a


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suggested technique. For a normal width road two searchers must

move abreast of each other with their search patterns overlapping.

When all else fails, this is the technique we used to refer to as the

Polish Mine Detector.

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