PzGr40
03.05.2010, 21:50
Cutaway model of a Yygoslav PMA-1 anti personel mine. The mine exists of a box with a lid which is connected to the box with two hinge pins. A rectangular block of explosives is placed in the box. The fuze used for this mine is the UPMAH-1. This fuze is bakelite made and is threaded on the backside to enable the fuze to be screwed into the block of explosives. An aluminium detonator is placed partially in the fuze, partially in the block of explosives.
Because of the aluminium detonator the mine can be found relatively easily with a mine detector; however , a detonator with a plastic housing seems to have been made, making the mine fully metal free and impossible to detect with a mine detector.
The detonator is initiated by a friction sensitive compound that can fail when wet. When dried again, the fuze will again function as designed.
The colour of the mine is grey-green.
Functioning of the mine:
The mine is made ready to be burried by placing the fuze and te detonator. Before laying the mine in the hole a safety pin is placed in the lid of the mine to prevent premature explosion during burrying. After the mine is placed the pin is removed and the mine is armed. If someone steps on the mine, the lid is forced down, crushing the bakelite fuze. This causes the friction sensitive compound to ignite. This will ignite the detonator and the main charge of the mine
Weight of complete mine : 400 gram
Length : 140 mm
Width : 70 mm
Heigth: 30mm
Explosive charge : 200 grams TNT
Activation pressure : between 3 and 15 kg.
The PMA-1 has been used in Angola, Bosnia, Croatia and Namibie.
Because of the aluminium detonator the mine can be found relatively easily with a mine detector; however , a detonator with a plastic housing seems to have been made, making the mine fully metal free and impossible to detect with a mine detector.
The detonator is initiated by a friction sensitive compound that can fail when wet. When dried again, the fuze will again function as designed.
The colour of the mine is grey-green.
Functioning of the mine:
The mine is made ready to be burried by placing the fuze and te detonator. Before laying the mine in the hole a safety pin is placed in the lid of the mine to prevent premature explosion during burrying. After the mine is placed the pin is removed and the mine is armed. If someone steps on the mine, the lid is forced down, crushing the bakelite fuze. This causes the friction sensitive compound to ignite. This will ignite the detonator and the main charge of the mine
Weight of complete mine : 400 gram
Length : 140 mm
Width : 70 mm
Heigth: 30mm
Explosive charge : 200 grams TNT
Activation pressure : between 3 and 15 kg.
The PMA-1 has been used in Angola, Bosnia, Croatia and Namibie.