French 60-mm Model 1939 bounding anti personel mine

[PzGr40]

The 60 mm Model 1939 Anti personel mine is a pre WW2 French bounding mine. It exists of a 170 mm long steel projector tube with a 60,3 mm internal diameter, over which a rectangular 6,4”x 4” (162x102mm) baseplate is mounted. The base of the tube receives a machined cast iron base plate, secured to the pipe by dowels, into which flash pipe is screwed. The upper portion of the pipe is closed by a tin cap, under which a rubber seal disc is placed. The cap is held in place by a spring wire (missing in this picture), attached to the two hooks at 180 degrees each on the outside of the pipe. The flash pipe makes an 180 degree bend, and ends up through the baseplate, where it is locked up between a nut and a fuze adapter .The mine itself is made of an 60 mm mortar body which -by means of an adaptor – ,is connected to a cap that fits over the edge on the base plate. This cap also houses a screwed in brass delay pellet. Below the fuze, just before the bend in the pipe, a 0,8 grams black powder capsule is placed, used to throw the mine up, and ignite the delay pellet. A winged srew is placed in the base of the mine, enableling the removal of the mine from the tube for placing the detonator before use.

The fuze used on this mine is the Pull Igniter Mle.(modele) 1939. It is a pull fuze which releases the firing pin when the cotter pin is withdrawn by actuating the connected tripwire.
The picture shows the fuze on the mine in armed condition; in safe condition the safety ring , connedted to the cotter pin is folded back over the head of the fuze (picture left below), thus making it not possible to remove the cotter pin. An interesting detail about the fuze is that the head of the fuze pivots over the lower part; if the force of the trip wire is not on line with the head of the fuze, it will first pivot the head in the right direction and than pull the cotter pin out.

Functioning of the mine:
If the cotter pin is withdrawn, the firing pin will hit the firing cap. The flame travels down in the flash pipe, igniting the 0,8 grams black powder charge. This projects the mine upward, out of the tube, at the same time igniting the 1/5sec delay. The mine will now explode between 0,5 and 2 mtrs above the ground (1’7” and6’6”).

Overall height of mine : 8.25 “ (210 mm)
Type of filling : Melenite
Weight of filling : 5oz (0,141 Kg)
Total weight mine : 5,5 Lb (2,26 Kg)

Regards, Pzgr40

[rigby]

Ich weiß, ich wiederhole mich............ aber einfach Phantastisch!!!!!

[genkideskan]

Die dt. Bezeichnung für diese Mine Bondissante de 60 mm mod. 1940 war


Sprungmine 442 (f)

Allumeur a traction Modele 1939 hieß


Zugzünder 501 (f)



Quellenhinweiß: Waffen Revue 104 S.103 ff.

[PzGr40]

Hi Genkideskan, thanks for the extra info. The only thing I had was a American description.
With regards , Pzgr40

[genkideskan]

I wonder if the handle screw in the tail of the mortar round was used, to close the fuse pocket, when no fuse is screwed in.
PzGr do you know if the both threadings are matching ??

[x]

Interesting idea, do you think it would still turn when the steel rod is fixed in that screw? Further the sealing of the lounching cup would have to be broken only for putting that part back into the thread of the shell and sowith allow water to get into the sensitive ignition system, or was your idea that the screw with the handle does not belong into the shell base at all? If so, a drawing from a manual could help.

[PzGr40]

@ Genkideskan; No the thread in the fuzeplug is about twice the diameter of the baseplug. The other thread was probably meant for a transit and storage cap.

@X; When I got it , the orginal winged screw with a heavilly corroded steel pin was still in place. the winged screw had never been unscrewed from the mortar base. So I do know for shure it belongs there. I made a replica of the steel pin (wings, or rod as you call it) from a welding stick. You do have to take the mine and the launching plate out to insert the detonator. mostly mines are not stored with the detonator in place, I suppose detonators were installed in some sort of field workshops just prior to placement in the field. The cap with the rubber disc will provide good cover for water comming in, as the mine is only burried in the ground up till the plate.
Talking about water; strangely, I have not found a small hole in the lower part of the fuze well, so after rain it would fill with water that stays around the brass fuze. Not such a good idea with a black powder pellet just beneath it; if the pipe fills with water, the mine will shurely not function.
With regards , Pzgr40

[x]

-Water-
True what you say, the whole construction should be different, means the fuze should not be located inside a "cup". Even if it would have had a small hole (or more) the shipping plug one the fuze well would not cover the small holes at all and allow water to intrude while being stored w/o fuze. Or a rather special shipping plug would have been necessary that would have had 2 sealings at 2 different levels. The best would be still not to locate the fuze inside a cup though...

[genkideskan]

MADE IN FRANCE :-)

[PzGr40]

:mrgreen:

[genkideskan]

There are adapter slugs for Handgrenades and single mortar rounds,too.
May be such adapter slug was originally introduced to use the mine with this particular "allumeur".

[x]

MADE IN FRANCE :-)


Vive la Baguette... :mrgreen:

[PzGr40]

@ Genkideskan; You might be right, however , all books and leaflets I now have picture it without an adapter. I cannot immagine they got it all wrong!
With regards , Pzgr40