M18A1 Claymore Antipersonnel Mine
Parts of the M18A1 ClaymoreThe M18A1 Claymore Antipersonnel Mine is a weapon often used by many countries around the world, named after the large Scottish sword, by the inventor, Norman A. MacLeod. The Claymore is designed to fire steel balls (shrapnel) out to about 100 meters across a 60° arc in front of the device, which stands just off the ground. It is designed primarily to be used in ambushes and as an anti-infiltration device against enemy infantry, however it is also of some use against soft-skinned vehicles.
Nomenclature
The proper nomenclature for the Claymore mine in use with the United States military is Mine, AntiPersonnel, M18A1. Other countries employ the same, or similar mines, with different designations. Examples are the former Soviet Union models MON-50, MON-90, MON-100, MON-200; No. 6 (Israel); MAPED F1 (France); Mini MS-803 (South Africa), and more.
Operation and Effect
The Claymore mine is typically employed in one of two modes: Controlled and Uncontrolled.
Controlled Mode (also known as Command Detonation) - The mine is detonated by the operator as the forward edge of the enemy approaches a point within the killing zone (20 to 30 meters) where maximum casualties can be inflicted. Controlled detonation may be accomplished by use of either an electrical or nonelectrical firing system. When mines are employed in the controlled role, they are treated the same as individual weapons and are reported for inclusion in the unit fire plan. They are not reported as mines; however, the emplacing unit must ensure that the mines are either removed, detonated, or turned over to a relieving unit. The M57 Firing Device is included with the M18A1 Claymore Mine so that it can be used in the controlled mode. When Claymore Mines are daisy chained together, one M57 firing device can initiate several claymore mines.
Uncontrolled Mode (also known as Victim Initiated Detonation) - Uncontrolled firing is accomplished when the mine is installed in such a manner as to cause an unsuspecting enemy to detonate the mine. Mines employed in this manner must be reported and recorded as land mines. There are many fuzing mechanisms that can be used to initiate the M18A1 in uncontrolled mode, including the M142 Multipurpose Firing Device, M5 Pressure Release Device (mousetrap), tripwires, strikers, infrared sensors, acoustic & vibration sensors.
When detonated, the M18A1 Claymore delivers spherical steel fragments over a 60° fan-shaped pattern that is two meters high and 50 meters wide at a range of 50 meters. These fragments are moderately effective up to a range of 100 meters and can travel up to 250 meters forward of the weapon. The optimum effective range (the range at which the optimal balance is achieved between lethality and area coverage) is 50 meters.
Landmine Bans and the Claymore Mine
When in use by the US Military, the M18A1 Claymore AntiPersonnel Mine is most often command detonated. However, because of the simplicity of the M18A1, it is readily used in the Uncontrolled Mode, and as such, is frequently listed in efforts to ban antipersonnel mines. While the United States has been an active participant in worldwide demining operations, it refuses to sign any landmine banning treaties.
It is a requirement for the individual US soldier & Marine to know how to properly deploy and emplace the M18A1 landmine.
Theory: Misznay-Schardin effect
The M18 is based on the Misznay-Schardin effect, the behaviour of sheets of explosive that was independently discovered in WWII by Misznay, a Hungarian, and Schardin, a German. When the explosive detonates in contact with a metal object, the explosion is primarily directed away from the metal. Schardin spent some time developing the device as a side-attack anti-tank weapon, but development was incomplete at the end of the war.
M18
Following the massed Chinese attacks during the Korean War, the US Army developed the German design into an anti-personnel weapon that would fire hundreds of small ball-bearings in one shot. The rear of the device was a steel sheet covered with the explosive, and in front was an air space packed with the shot. When the explosive detonates the majority of the force is directed forward, sending the balls out the front at high velocity. Claymores were not buried like mines but were placed above ground pointed towards the likely location of the enemy.
M18A1
The M18A1 was standardized in 1960 for the Vietnam War, and replaced the M18 antipersonnel weapon. Both weapons are similar in appearance and functioning. The M18A1 has an olive coloured plastic casing (inert training versions are blue) with the words "Front Toward Enemy" on it. It is 21.5 cm (eight inches) long, 8 cm (three inches) high, and 3.5 cm (inch and a half) deep with two sets of adjustable legs. Inside is 650 grams of plastic explosive and 700 steel ball-bearings. It is equipped with a knife edge style sight on currently fielded models (older models featured a fixed plastic slit-type sight which was not as effective for aiming and resulted in the mine being aimed too low, shortening the blast radius), and two detonator wells. The weapon and all its accessories are carried in the M7 bandoleer. An instruction sheet for the M18A1 is attached to the inside cover of the bandoleer.
Pop Culture
The M18 has appeared in some popular movies, as well as some computer games. They are prominent in the Metal Gear Solid series, although they are often used to attack guards and soldiers instead of tanks. In Metal Gear Acid, a PSP game, the power of M18 is dramatically decreased, and can only inflict damage to 1X2 blocks. They are involved in a part of Platoon, in which they are placed, and later set off during a night ambush. They are most accurately portrayed in the PC game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: 3 Raven Shield. They also closely resemble the laser trip mines in the Half-Life computer games.
They are also available to the sniper class of Battlefield 2 who has two at his disposal. In BF2 they are used as anti-personnel mines and are detonated by another player entering a zone 60° in front of the claymore and approximately 10 meters away from it.
Marvel Comics antihero The Punisher has shown a fondness for claymores, and seems to particularly enjoy tossing one toward the enemy, giving them enough time to read the front inscription, then detonating it.
Parts of the M18A1 ClaymoreThe M18A1 Claymore Antipersonnel Mine is a weapon often used by many countries around the world, named after the large Scottish sword, by the inventor, Norman A. MacLeod. The Claymore is designed to fire steel balls (shrapnel) out to about 100 meters across a 60° arc in front of the device, which stands just off the ground. It is designed primarily to be used in ambushes and as an anti-infiltration device against enemy infantry, however it is also of some use against soft-skinned vehicles.
Nomenclature
The proper nomenclature for the Claymore mine in use with the United States military is Mine, AntiPersonnel, M18A1. Other countries employ the same, or similar mines, with different designations. Examples are the former Soviet Union models MON-50, MON-90, MON-100, MON-200; No. 6 (Israel); MAPED F1 (France); Mini MS-803 (South Africa), and more.
Operation and Effect
The Claymore mine is typically employed in one of two modes: Controlled and Uncontrolled.
Controlled Mode (also known as Command Detonation) - The mine is detonated by the operator as the forward edge of the enemy approaches a point within the killing zone (20 to 30 meters) where maximum casualties can be inflicted. Controlled detonation may be accomplished by use of either an electrical or nonelectrical firing system. When mines are employed in the controlled role, they are treated the same as individual weapons and are reported for inclusion in the unit fire plan. They are not reported as mines; however, the emplacing unit must ensure that the mines are either removed, detonated, or turned over to a relieving unit. The M57 Firing Device is included with the M18A1 Claymore Mine so that it can be used in the controlled mode. When Claymore Mines are daisy chained together, one M57 firing device can initiate several claymore mines.
Uncontrolled Mode (also known as Victim Initiated Detonation) - Uncontrolled firing is accomplished when the mine is installed in such a manner as to cause an unsuspecting enemy to detonate the mine. Mines employed in this manner must be reported and recorded as land mines. There are many fuzing mechanisms that can be used to initiate the M18A1 in uncontrolled mode, including the M142 Multipurpose Firing Device, M5 Pressure Release Device (mousetrap), tripwires, strikers, infrared sensors, acoustic & vibration sensors.
When detonated, the M18A1 Claymore delivers spherical steel fragments over a 60° fan-shaped pattern that is two meters high and 50 meters wide at a range of 50 meters. These fragments are moderately effective up to a range of 100 meters and can travel up to 250 meters forward of the weapon. The optimum effective range (the range at which the optimal balance is achieved between lethality and area coverage) is 50 meters.
Landmine Bans and the Claymore Mine
When in use by the US Military, the M18A1 Claymore AntiPersonnel Mine is most often command detonated. However, because of the simplicity of the M18A1, it is readily used in the Uncontrolled Mode, and as such, is frequently listed in efforts to ban antipersonnel mines. While the United States has been an active participant in worldwide demining operations, it refuses to sign any landmine banning treaties.
It is a requirement for the individual US soldier & Marine to know how to properly deploy and emplace the M18A1 landmine.
Theory: Misznay-Schardin effect
The M18 is based on the Misznay-Schardin effect, the behaviour of sheets of explosive that was independently discovered in WWII by Misznay, a Hungarian, and Schardin, a German. When the explosive detonates in contact with a metal object, the explosion is primarily directed away from the metal. Schardin spent some time developing the device as a side-attack anti-tank weapon, but development was incomplete at the end of the war.
M18
Following the massed Chinese attacks during the Korean War, the US Army developed the German design into an anti-personnel weapon that would fire hundreds of small ball-bearings in one shot. The rear of the device was a steel sheet covered with the explosive, and in front was an air space packed with the shot. When the explosive detonates the majority of the force is directed forward, sending the balls out the front at high velocity. Claymores were not buried like mines but were placed above ground pointed towards the likely location of the enemy.
M18A1
The M18A1 was standardized in 1960 for the Vietnam War, and replaced the M18 antipersonnel weapon. Both weapons are similar in appearance and functioning. The M18A1 has an olive coloured plastic casing (inert training versions are blue) with the words "Front Toward Enemy" on it. It is 21.5 cm (eight inches) long, 8 cm (three inches) high, and 3.5 cm (inch and a half) deep with two sets of adjustable legs. Inside is 650 grams of plastic explosive and 700 steel ball-bearings. It is equipped with a knife edge style sight on currently fielded models (older models featured a fixed plastic slit-type sight which was not as effective for aiming and resulted in the mine being aimed too low, shortening the blast radius), and two detonator wells. The weapon and all its accessories are carried in the M7 bandoleer. An instruction sheet for the M18A1 is attached to the inside cover of the bandoleer.
Pop Culture
The M18 has appeared in some popular movies, as well as some computer games. They are prominent in the Metal Gear Solid series, although they are often used to attack guards and soldiers instead of tanks. In Metal Gear Acid, a PSP game, the power of M18 is dramatically decreased, and can only inflict damage to 1X2 blocks. They are involved in a part of Platoon, in which they are placed, and later set off during a night ambush. They are most accurately portrayed in the PC game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: 3 Raven Shield. They also closely resemble the laser trip mines in the Half-Life computer games.
They are also available to the sniper class of Battlefield 2 who has two at his disposal. In BF2 they are used as anti-personnel mines and are detonated by another player entering a zone 60° in front of the claymore and approximately 10 meters away from it.
Marvel Comics antihero The Punisher has shown a fondness for claymores, and seems to particularly enjoy tossing one toward the enemy, giving them enough time to read the front inscription, then detonating it.
.jpg)
 |