A.T. Mine G.S. Mark II

The Anti-Tank Mine General Service Mark II was a British anti-tank blast mine used during the Second World War.[1] It consisted of a body about 7.5 in (190 mm) in diameter and 3.25 in (83 mm).[1] The mine has a central fuze well accessed from the bottom, with a main charge in a cavity around the well consisting of about 4 lb (1.8 kg) of TNT. The mine is fitted with a thin brass cover, which acts as a pressure plate. The cover is suspended over the main body of the main by four leaf springs. A Sorbo ring (Sorbo rubber sponge) can be fitted between the cover and the mine body, which absorbs shock and blast and allows the mines to be planted as close as two feet (0.61 m) without causing sympathetic detonation (normally five feet is the minimum safe distance).

A.T. Mine G.S Mark
A cutaway of a Mark II anti-tank mine with the Sorbo rubber ring installed.
TypeAnti-tank Mine
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
Used byUK
WarsWorld War II
Specifications
Mass8.5 lb (3.9 kg)
Height3.25 in (83 mm)
Diameter7.5 in (190 mm)
FillingTNT or Baratol
Filling weight4lb(1.81kg)

Sufficient pressure on the cover of the mine causes the cover to press downward onto the pressure cap of the fuze. This downward pressure forces the assembly surrounding the striker down until the striker retaining balls are aligned with a cavity. The balls are pushed aside and the striker is released impacting the detonator which detonates the C.E. pellet, triggering the exploder and then the main charge.

The mines main charge was relatively small and the mine appears to have been withdrawn by the end of the war, being replaced by the larger Mk 5 mine. The mine was used in large numbers at the 1942 Second Battle of El Alamein.[2]

Specifications
  • Year of Introduction: 1937
  • Diameter: 7+1⁄2 inches (19 cm)
  • Height: 3+1⁄4 inches (8.3 cm) with cover
  • Weight: 8.5 lb (3.9 kg)
  • Operating force: 350 lbf (1.56 kN)
  • Explosive content: 4 lb of TNT (1.8 kg) or Baratol

References
  1. "British Mines of the Second World War". www.wwiiequipment.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  2. "A measure of the real world value of mixed mine systems" (PDF). The Dupuy Institute. 20 June 2001. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  • Anti-tank mines, Military Training Pamphlet No. 40 (1942), The War Office.
  • NAVORD OP 1665, British Explosive Ordnance, Naval Ordnance Systems Command (Updated 1970)


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