World War II Axis Booby Traps and Sabotage Tactics

Author:Gordon Rottman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: World War II Axis Booby Traps and Sabotage Tactics
ISBN: 9781780961439
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: 2011-09-01T16:00:00+00:00

It is sometimes forgotten that masses of field telephone wires were strung through trees and on existing or temporary poles erected by signal troops. Abandoned German wires were pulled down, so these could be booby-trapped by German infiltrators. Night patrols also cut Allied cables, and booby-trapped them close to the cut ends to catch the linesmen who had to find and repair the breaks.

In paths and defiles the Germans used a number of antipersonnel switches that they had captured from the British. Official the “switch, No. 8, antipersonnel," this was a pressure-release device shaped like a pencil. It usually is sunk in a path or narrow defile and its 0.75in tip concealed with mud, dirt, or leaves. It projects a [cone-shaped .50cal] bullet upwards. Our nickname for these switches is ‘castrators,’ but most of the time what they really do is go up through your foot, or through the tire of a vehicle.

GERMAN AND JAPANESE FIRING DEVICES

Mechanical firing devices – variously called detonators, igniters, exploders or fuzes – were essential to the functioning of booby traps. Friction igniters, pull-type, pull-release, tension-type, and pressure-type were the most commonly found firing devices. These illustrations are to a common scale, and show safety/arming pins in place, where applicable.

German:

(1) B.Z. 24 friction igniter from Stg. 24 stick grenade (body without pull-loop, 2.5in long).

(2) Z.Z. 35 pull detonator.

(3) Z.u.Z.Z. 35 push/pull detonator.

(4) Z.Z. 42 pull detonator from Schü-Mine 42.

(5) D.Z. 35 pressure detonator (125–165lb pressure).

The B.Z. 24 and Z.Z. 42 were, of course, used in other booby traps as well. The horizontal pins with nuts on one end are the safety pins. A ring was provided to attach a pull string, allowing the detonator to be armed after the booby trap was emplaced somewhere difficult to access with the hand.

Japanese:

(6) Pull-type friction igniter.

(7) Pull-type friction igniter.

(8) Waterproof fuse lighter, used to light safety fuse; a blasting cap could be fitted and used for booby traps.

(9) Pull-type firing device. A blasting cap was housed in the 6.5mm cartridge in the bottom; the pull release is in the side.

(10) Type 1 chemical delay detonator. A small reservoir in the top was filled with cupric chloride, the amount variable for delays of between 45 and 65 minutes – the more acid, the shorter the delay.

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