One of the most important tasks of the engineering troops in engineering support of the battle is the device of mine and explosive barriers, which allow inflicting losses on the enemy, delaying his advance, and complicating the maneuver of forces and means. In an offensive, mining is carried out to cover the flanks, repel enemy counterattacks, while securing captured lines. In defense - to cover the positions of troops, their flanks and joints between subunits, not occupied by the troops, and, if necessary, important objects in the depths of their defense in order to make it difficult for the enemy to deploy forces and attack the front edge.
Both in the offensive and on the defensive in the directions of the enemy's breakthrough, mining is carried out by specially assigned engineer-sapper subunits or mobile obstacle detachments.
The article will focus mainly on minelayers, which are directly behind themselves, in contrast to remote-controllers, which scatter mines over a certain distance.
PART ONE
Mining was widely used in the first and especially in the second world wars, mainly by hand or with the help of the simplest improvised devices.
After the First World War, in the early 1930s. it became obvious to military specialists that minefields are one of the effective means of anti-tank defense. In the USSR, a special minelayer based on the T-27 tankette, called the MZ-27, was developed in this direction. By the fall of 1934, in order to accumulate operating experience and work out the tactics of using the minelayer, complex tests were organized and a batch of special mines was manufactured, which could be equipped with both combat and training charges.
The MZ-27 minelayer was to be used as a means for the device of anti-tank obstacles immediately before the enemy passed the terrain in the directions of attack or movement of his tank groups. In defense, the MZ-27 was supposed to be used to block the movement of enemy tanks in an unexpectedly detected direction (breakthrough, bypass, etc.), and in the offensive - as a means of protecting the flanks and rear from sudden actions of enemy tank groups.
MZ-27 included a special device for mining, which included: an easily removable drum of a welded structure made of 10-mm armor with a rotating holder with cells for mines placed inside (the drum had a removable wall, fastened with bolts); a rotary gear with a worm shaft mounted in a drum on a hollow wooden axle; a roller with a rope wound on it; a pen; anchor and cable for opening the door.
The device for mining was attached at the back. The device for mining was activated without stopping the movement of the machine by dropping the anchor and its adhesion to the ground (the role of the anchor could be performed by any load weighing 5-6 kg). There were three methods of mining: in one row, in two rows, as well as mining of individual sections of the road ().
The design of the MZ-27 experimental minelayer based on the T-27 tankette did not receive further development. However, the experience of its design, testing and operation was in demand when creating subsequent machines for a similar purpose.
During the Great Patriotic War, in 1942, a mine spreader was developed on the basis of the ZiS truck, which was manufactured by the forces of the troops. The spreader was a truck with 1-2 wooden chutes attached to the body. The mines are placed in the trays by sappers who are in the back of the car. In the body, mines are stacked parallel to the side walls, one on top of the other on the edge, with the handle up: TM-46 mines in two rows, TMD-B, TMD-44 mines in two or three rows. The rear part of the body, about 70 cm from the edge, is not loaded with mines and is a workplace for sappers who place mines in trays. In the working position, the car moves at a speed of up to 5 km / h. Such a system made it possible to increase the mining speed by 1, 5 - 2 times.
Only after the war did mine layers and minelayers develop and become widespread in the engineering troops of the Soviet Army.
In the late 1940s - early. 50s the first version of the PMR-1 mine spreader was tested with the simplest launch trays and their lateral location relative to the tractor body. But the lateral arrangement of the trays and their design were found to be unsatisfactory both in terms of the accuracy of laying mines and the convenience of the calculation. Further development of the spreader led to the emergence of PMR - 2, which was put into service in 1954.
Trailed mine spreader PMR-2, mounted on a single-axle trailer and towed when mining by a truck (tractor).
The spreader consisted of a running gear with an engaging mechanism, a frame with a drawbar, two guide trays with chutes, two dispensing mechanisms with a stepping box and a chain transmission, and electrical equipment. Frames - trays were spaced from each other in width by 2 m, mines moved along them under the influence of their own weight. In contrast to the previous simple trays, in this case, for the first time, a pin counting mechanism was used in them with a drive from the chassis of the trailer.
The PMR-2 trailed mine spreader was intended for laying anti-tank mines on the ground when setting up minefields.
Fusing mines with fuses, spreading them to the required distances and setting them into the ground with camouflage are performed by sapper units manually. At the same time, mines (TM-46, TMD-B, TMD-44) were laid out on the surface of the ground in two rows with a mining step of 2 or 4 m. A set of mines was placed along the sides of the vehicle.
Spreader work. For work, the spreader clings to the rear hook of a car or armored personnel carrier. The mines are placed in the trays of the spreader by sappers who are in the back. The mines, under the influence of their own weight, slide down the rollers of the trays. The dispensing mechanism through the switching mechanism from the right wheel of the spreader works in such a way that in one tray the mine will be stopped by the lower fingers of the dispensing mechanism, and in the other by the upper ones (see the figure below). Further, when the lower fingers of the dispensing mechanism are lowered and the upper ones are raised, the first mine slides to the ground, and the second mine is cut off. Then the fingers of the issuing mechanism change position again, and the second mine takes the place of the first. The cycle repeats itself. In the other tray, the same thing happens, but the mines are issued in the intervals between the movements of the mines in the first tray. Thus, the interval in width between the mines in the row of the minefield is established, and the mines themselves are staggered.
To lay mines on the ground, the launch trays are freed from the belts holding them and their ends are lowered to the ground. Then the handle of the step-by-step box is set to the corresponding mining step, that is, opposite the number 2 or 4. Then the trays are loaded with mines with the handles back. Two sappers support sliding mines, preventing them from hitting the fingers of the issuing mechanisms and one against the other.
The placement of mines on the ground, a fragment of holes, the installation and camouflage of them is carried out by soldiers of the sapper unit, who follow the spreader.
The main tactical and technical data of the PMR-2 spreader:
Types of mines deployed by the spreader - finally equipped mines TM-46 with MVM fuses, incompletely equipped mines TM-46, TMD-44 and TMD-B, intended for equipping with MB-5 fuses;
The step of laying out mines in a row is 2 or 4 m;
The number of rows of laid out mines - 1 or 2 (depending on the number of trays used);
Distance between trays (rows of mines) - 2 m;
Spreader travel speed in operation - up to 5 km / h;
The travel speed of the spreader on roads in a trailer behind a car is up to 40 km / h;
Time required for nesting 300 min:
- with a mining step of 2 m and using two trays - 5-7 minutes
- with a mining step of 4 m and using one tray - 15-20 minutes;
Time for loading and laying 300 min:
- into the car body in one compartment with a toeboard at a distance of up to 30 m - 12-20 minutes;
Time required to prepare the spreader for work - 5-7 minutes;
Slopes of the terrain at which the normal layout of mines is ensured:
- rise - up to 15 °
- descent - 7-9 °
- slope - 5-15 °;
Spreader dimensions:
- length - 4, 3 m
- width - 2.5 m
- height - 2, 1 m;
Spreader calculation - 4 persons
Spreader weight - 900 kg.
In 1956, a more advanced trailed minelayer appeared in service. PMR - 3 on a single axle trailer. For the first time, a moldless plow-camouflage device (PMU) was used on it, which made it possible to install anti-tank mines (ATM) in the ground (snow) with their camouflage. This has halved the work of sappers.
In one pass, the mines were set in the ground in one row to a depth of 6 - 8 cm. To transfer the mine fuses to the firing position in the minelayer's transmission, which received movement from the support wheels of the trailer chassis, an active fuse transfer mechanism was used. Its spring-loaded rod made reciprocating movements, recessed buttons of mine fuses before leaving them to the PMU.
Spreader robot.
When the spreader moves, the rotation from its wheels is transmitted to the driving and driven shafts of the dispensing mechanism, which passes one mine at a set intervals of 4 or 5.5 m. The dispensing mechanism operates in the same way as in the PMR-2 mine spreader. mines from the guide chute fall into an open furrow and are masked by turf, which is laid back by sod or covered with loose soil by the return dumps of the plow. When the plow is not working, the mines are laid on the ground or in the snow.
To install mines with a spreader, it is necessary to turn on the clutch when the plow starts moving and deepens to the required depth and then continuously supplement the tray with mines.
Bringing mines to their final equipped state, pulling out safety checks from fuses (for TM-46 mines with their partial digging out) and additional camouflage are performed manually by a sapper unit after laying the mines with a spreader. When all the mines are used up by the conveyor, the spreader is reattached to another conveyor loaded with mines.
The baptism of fire the minelayers of the PMR - 3 passed during the Arab - Israeli wars, but there is no information on the effectiveness of their use.
Main performance characteristics - PMR - 3:
Types of mines deployed by the spreader - finally equipped mines TM-46 with MVM fuses, incompletely equipped mines TM-46, TMD-44 and TMD-B, intended for equipping with MB-5 fuses;
The step of laying out mines in a row is 4 or 5, 5 m;
The number of rows of laid out mines - 1;
The speed of the spreader in operation - 3 - 8 km / h;
The travel speed of the spreader on the road in a trailer behind a car is up to 50 km / h;
Time required for nesting 200 minutes:
- by calculation of 4 people. - 16 minutes
- by calculation of 6 people. - 10 min;
Time required to prepare the spreader for work - 1 min;
Slopes of the terrain, at which the normal layout of mines is ensured:
- rise - up to 15 °
- descent - 10 °
- slope - 10 °;
Spreader dimensions in working position:
- length - 5, 25 m
- width - 2.0 m
- height - 2, 2 m;
Spreader calculation:
- when installing finally equipped mines - 5 people.
- when installing unloaded mines - 8 people.
Spreader weight - 1300 kg.
Later, in the mid-1970s, PMR - 3 was modernized. The transmission changed slightly: now the mines moved forcibly by a chain conveyor in the guide tray, which made it possible to simplify the mechanism for transferring fuses and make it in the form of a spring-loaded plate. The modernized version was named PMZ - 4 - "trailed minelayer", which was more in line with its purpose. Additional equipment (elongated pipes and a plow) was also introduced into the design for mining with mines controlled by wires, as well as for laying the main wire into the ground to a depth of 20 cm. The mines themselves were stacked along the side of the car body in cassettes of 100 pcs.
Attempts to mechanize the process of setting up anti-personnel minefields and the absence of any means of mechanization for these purposes demanded to expand the composition of additional equipment PMZ - 4: a trigger chute (a long pipe on the left in the direction of travel), pushers, and special stands were introduced into it. This equipment made it possible to install PMN anti-personnel mines, and the minelayer was named PMZ - 4P. In this variant, the minelayer carries 1000 pieces of MRP. The step of mining the PMZ-4P with antipersonnel mines is 2 and 2, 75 m, and the mining speed is up to 2 km / h. The simplicity of the design of the PMZ-4P led to its widespread distribution among the troops, where it is used to this day.
With the help of a minelayer, you can carry out the installation of both finally and incompletely equipped mines. The calculation of the minelayer consists of 5 - 7 people, depending on what kind of mines it puts and in what condition - fully equipped or not.
So, the calculation of the minelayer when installing the finally equipped anti-tank mines consists of five numbers:
- The first number - the operator - is the senior of the calculation, is located directly on the minelayer and is responsible for the task at hand.
- The second and third numbers - are in the back of the tractor, remove the mines from the container, remove the safety checks and place the mines on the receiving tray.
- The fourth number is also in the back and delivers one mine from the receiving chute to the chain conveyor.
- The fifth number - the driver of the tractor - is obliged to strictly observe the speed and the given direction.
When installing incompletely equipped ATMs, the calculation of the minelayer consists of seven numbers.
- The first number - the operator - is the senior of the calculation, is located directly on the minelayer and is responsible for the task.
- The second and third numbers are located in the back of the tractor and feed mines from the container to the guide tray.
- The fourth number - finds the mines installed in the ground and reveals a masking layer of soil above them.
- Fifth number - unscrews the caps min.
- Sixth number - installs fuses in mines, screws up plugs, finally disguises the place where the mines are installed.
- The seventh number is the tractor driver.
Trailed minelayers PMZ-4 and PMZ-4P are the cheapest, and therefore, massive means of mechanizing mining outside the enemy's fire effect, on the rear lines, at night, in poor visibility and in closed terrain. This, of course, does not exclude their use in the course of a battle, when, according to the conditions of the situation, it becomes necessary to plant mines in front of the advancing combat formations of the enemy, and there are no other means of mechanization. Their use provides a reduction in labor intensity and installation time of mines by 2-3 times as compared to manual installation.
But for all the simplicity and reliability of the design of trailed minelayers, their main drawback was the lack of protection of the crew and mines from enemy fire, as well as the lack of defensive weapons, which caused the use of minelayers only in the depths of the combat formations of their troops.
The above disadvantages of trailed minelayers were eliminated in the new GMZ self-propelled mine layer.
Main performance characteristics PMZ - 4:
Tractor - vehicle ZIL-131 (ZIL-157), Ural-375, artillery tractors AT-T, AT-L with one section of the container;
Types of mines used:
- finally equipped - TM-62 with fuses that do not allow a mechanized installation; TM-57 with fuses MVZ-57; anti-personnel PMN;
- incompletely equipped - TM-62 with fuses allowing mechanized installation; TM-57 with fuses MV-57, MVSh-57; TM-46 with fuses MV-62 and ShMV;
- without fuses - TMD - B; TMD-44 (fuses are installed in them manually after placing mines on the ground;
The total mass of the minelayer kit is 1800 kg.
Overall dimensions in working position:
Length - 5.28 m.
Width - 2, 02 m.
height - 1.97 m.
Track - 1.75 m.
The maximum transport speed is 45 km / h.
Mining speed:
- anti-tank mines - up to 5 km / h.
- antipersonnel mines - up to 2 km / h.
Mining step:
- anti-tank mines - 4 or 5.5 m.
- antipersonnel mines - 2 or 2.75m.
Ammunition min:
Anti-tank - 200 pcs.
Anti-personnel - 1,000 pcs.
The number of calculation minelayer
- when installing finally equipped anti-tank mines - 5 people.
- when installing incompletely equipped anti-tank mines - 7 people.
- when installing finally equipped anti-personnel mines - 7 people.
The length of the minefield from one ammunition load of mines
- anti-tank - 800 or 1100 m.
- anti-personnel - 2000 or 2750m.
The time to bring the minelayer to the firing position is 1 - 2 minutes.
The time for charging the cassette with mines by the forces of calculation is 10 - 15 minutes.
The installation time of the set of a controlled minefield by the forces of the sapper squad is up to 80 minutes.
The main weapons of PMR - 3 and PMZ - 4. From top to bottom: anti-tank mines TM - 46, TM - 57, TM - 62 and antipersonnel mines PMN.
