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Bouncing Betty

Discussion in 'German Light Weapons' started by KodiakBeer, May 4, 2019.

  1. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

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    No, not the slutty typist on Eisenhower's staff that gained a lurid reputation, I'm talking here about the German mine that jumped a meter into the air to explode and throw ball bearings in a 360 degree arc to kill and injure people anywhere near the detonation. These mines scared allied troops more than any other, mostly because it gained the reputation of being a de-baller, though it wasn't specifically designed to de-ball infantrymen, as you'll see in the video. The de-balling (or the fright of de-balling), was just an extra benefit unforeseen by the designers.
    I always wondered how these worked. I couldn't imagine how they jumped straight in the air to work effectively without the 150 pounds of poor bastard stepping on it interfering with the function. This is all explained in the video.

     
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  2. harolds

    harolds Member

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    Hmm...I learned something! I didn't know it had a 4 second delay. I thought it would be much shorter. Anyway, they had a variant of the sensor that you could affix trip wires to or it could have an electric command donated fuse. The French, Soviets and the USA all made, or tried to make, similar mines. It was probably the inspiration for our claymore mine used in Vietnam. (Do we still use that weapon?)
     
  3. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    Somehow the S.Mi.35 always looks to me like one of the nastiest weapons of WWII. Millions of them were laid in all theatres of the war and they could inflict horrible injuries - and they had considerable psychological effect.

    This is my example, put together from parts over several years. I don't usually have it on display....

    [​IMG]
     
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  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Now, take that information and match it up with the IJA requirement that school girls should take wooden awls and stab the tall Americans in the groin as part of the national resistance against Allied invasion of Japan.
     

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