TM-46 mine
The TM-46 mine is a large, circular, metal-cased Soviet anti-tank mine. It uses either a pressure fuze or tilt-rod, which is screwed into the top. Anti-tank mines with this type of fuze were capable of inflicting much more damage to armored vehicles.[1] The TMN-46 is a variant of the mine fitted with a secondary fuze well on the bottom (where it cannot be seen) which is slightly off-set from the centre of the mine. This secondary fuze well can be fitted with a pull-fuze which functions as an anti-handling device. The mine was used by the North Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War, and is found in many countries in Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia.
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Because the TM-46 has a metal casing, it is very easy to detect with a mine-detector. However, mine-fields containing TM-46s may have also been sown with minimum metal mines, e.g. the PMA-2.
Specifications
- Diameter: 305 mm
- Height: 108 mm
- Operating pressure: 120–400 kg (21 kg tilt pressure)
- Weight: 8.6 kg
- Explosive content: 5.7 kg of TNT
- Fuzes:
- MV-5 pressure.
- MVM-583 pressure.
- MVSh-46 tilt rod.
References
- Barrett Hazeltine; Christopher Bull (2003). Field Guide to Appropriate Technology. Academic Press. p. 853. ISBN 978-0-12-335185-2.
See also
- TM-57 mine (an improved version of the TM-46)
- TM-62 series of mines