Mine divers

Mine divers defusing an anchor mine

Preparation for retrieving a ground mine

Mine divers are military divers whose main task is the disposal of military naval combat equipment such as sea ​​mines and other underwater explosive devices by defusing or detonating them.

Tasks and commitment

The duties of mine divers include:

• Disposal of ordnance on water and on land, in particular the disposal of explosive devices attached to ship hulls and underwater systems by the enemy
• Search, classification and disposal or recovery of underwater weapons such as sea ​​mines or explosive devices in the water.

Mine divers are grouped into special units in most countries. They are deployed from land or from ship. Mine hunting boats always have a team of mine divers with them in mine defense operations. Special mine diving boats are used to train and deploy mine divers

Mine divers groups from different countries

• Australia: Royal Australian Navy , Clearance Diving Branch (RAN), Clearance diver
• Germany: Sea battalion of the German Navy, mine diving company , mine divers
• France: Force maritime des fusiliers marins et commandos (FORFUSCO), Commando de Montfort , Plongeur démineur dans la marine nationale française
• Italy: Comando Subacquei ed Incursori, Gruppo Operativo Subaquei (GOS)
• Japan: Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces , 水中 処分 員 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Diver, (EOD))
• Sweden: Swedish Armed Forces , Röjdykardivisionen, Röjdykare
• USA: United States Navy , Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), clearance diver , forerunner of the United States Navy SEALs

See also

• Gun divers
• Combat swimmer (general)
• Combat swimmer (Bundeswehr)
• Combat swimmer (Kriegsmarine)
• Ship diver
• Pioneer divers
• United States Navy SEALs
• Special boat service
• Frømandskorpset

literature

• Rolf Abresch, Lothar Schulz: The soldier and his equipment , Report, 2002, page 86 ff. ISBN 978-3-932385-13-1 .
• Cynthia Byrd Conner: Quiet Strong: First African American Explosive Ordnance Disposal Diver , BookBaby, 2017, ISBN 978-0-9977906-2-7 .
• Hendrik Killi: Minesweeper of the German Navy. Mittler, Hamburg a. a. 2002, ISBN 3-8132-0785-4 .
• Sören Sünkler: Die Spezialverband der Bundeswehr , Motorbuch, 2006, page 135 ff. ISBN 978-3-613-02592-9 .
• US Navy: Diving Manual: Air Diving , Volume 1, DIANE Publishing, 1999, ISBN 978-0-7881-8260-0 . ( online book preview )

Web links

Commons : Mine Diver  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• en: Clearance diver
• en: Clearance Diving Branch (RAN)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Definition in the marine glossary of the German Maritime Institute , accessed on June 17. 2018
2. ^ ^{A b} Hendrik Killi: Minesweeper of the German Navy. Mittler, Hamburg a. a. 2002, ISBN 3-8132-0785-4 . P. 179 f.
3. ↑ US Navy: Diving Manual Revision 7 (December 1, 2016); A Navy Diving Supervisor's Guide for Safe and Productive Diving Operations; and Guidance For Diving In Contaminated Waters , Chapter 6, Page 5