Mine ammunition

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30 mm mine projectile from a belt of the MK 108 . Left and right of it parts of the dismantling belt.

With minengeschoß is called explosive ammunition, in which the effect on the target mainly occurring during the explosion strong detonation wave ( mine action ) is based. This is the decisive difference to fragmentation ammunition, in which the destructive effect is mainly achieved by flying fragments of the projectile exploded in the target.

Development history

As one mid-1930s started in the Air Force , the two-centimeter MG-FF machine gun to use, could be used instead of full floors and classic explosive rounds use.

The effect of conventional explosive ammunition was the fragmentation effect of the shell. These splinters had a relatively devastating effect in the previous construction of aircraft ( tubular space frame with sheet metal planking or fabric covering). However, during testing, the Technical Office of the Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM) found a disappointing effect when shelling modern airplanes that were manufactured in shell construction. The projectile fragments penetrated the sheet metal of the aircraft, but had only an inadequate effect on the stability of the airframe and surfaces. That is why in 1937 the Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionswerke (DWM) in Lübeck-Schlutup was commissioned to develop an effective type of ammunition. As a result of this development, the mine projectile was created based on the 2 cm caliber.

How the mine projectile works

The effect of a thin-walled mine projectile is based on the gas strike of the explosive that has been detonated . In order to increase the effect of this gas blow, the thickness of the projectile casing was reduced to a minimum and, in return, the proportion of explosives was significantly increased. The projectile also has a delay fuse. The delay detonator ensures that the projectile does not explode immediately upon contact with the target, which would deflate a large part of the gas hammer outside the aircraft. Instead, this type of fuse causes a minimal delay, which means that at the time of the explosion, half or two thirds of the mine projectile is already inside the hit aircraft. As a result, plate-sized holes are torn into the aluminum outer skin of an aircraft that has been hit (this can be clearly seen in historical film footage showing returning B-17 bombers). Since the German 2-cm automatic cannons had a rate of 9 to 13 rounds per second (see MG 151/20 ), the probability was relatively high that one or the other projectile could fly through an already torn hole in the outer wall and important parts (especially fuel tanks). Consequently, in further development, emphasis was placed on improving the fire properties of the storey filling.

Ammunition belts were mostly filled mixed. A belt for a rigidly installed MG151 / 20 in a fighter aircraft for use against four-engine bombers was composed as follows in June 1944: a mine shell, an incendiary grenade, an anti-tank incendiary grenade. The situation was different when it came to equipping lighter targets such as B. Allied hunters from: three mine projectiles, one incendiary grenade, one tank incendiary grenade. The amount of tracer ammunition was chosen at will or according to availability.

Explosives used

Initially, nitropenta was used as an explosive , but later in the war it was replaced by HA 41 , a mixture of hexogen and aluminum pyrogrind (aluminum powder), which gave a better fire effect .

Other technical data

The two-centimeter mine projectile with a decomposing fuse (ZZ1505) weighed 92 grams and was filled with 20 grams of Nitropenta or HA 41. The total cartridge weight (including the propellant charge and the case) was 157 grams.