Todays naval mines come in a variety of shapes, sizes, types, actuation, and delivery methods. Some mines with small explosive charges are designed for use in shallow water against river boats and wooden vessels of small displacement. Other mines with large charges laid in deeper water can destroy or damage most capital ships, while yet others primarily target submarines.
Classification of Naval Mines
- Bottom Mines
- These mines are usually planted in shallow waters and rest on the ocean floor due to negative buoyancy. Surface vessels passing over the mines actuate the trigger mechanism and cause detonation. These mines can be laid in deeper water when submarines are the target. The firing mechanisms are typically influence.
Typical bottom mine
- Moored Mines
- These are planted in deeper water and are effective against both submarines and surface ships. The explosive charge and firing mechanism are housed in a case which is positively bouyant. A cable attached to an anchor on the sea bottom holds the case at a preselected depth below the surface. The firing mechanism can be mechanical or influence.
Typical moored mine
- Drifting Mines
- These are mines which are floating freely at or near the surface. They have no anchoring devices and have approximately neutral buoyancy. These mines are limited by the Hague Convention of 1907 and are no longer in the U.S. inventory.
Naval Mine Delivery Methods
- Aircraft-laid Mines
- Often employed in offensive operations, these mines are dropped from aircraft in the same manner as a bomb. These mines must be specifically configured for air delivery. Aircraft provide the capability for replenishing minefields over an extended period of time without the danger from previously laid mines. Aircraft are also capable of mining enemy-held inland waterways and bodies of water too shallow to be mined from submarines or surface minelayers.
Aircraft-laid Destructor mine
- Submarine-laid mines
- These are specifically configured mines that are launched from the torpedo tubes of submarines for offensive mining operations. The submarines can carry only a limited number of these mines, yet the advantage is the submarines ability to deliver these mines in complete secrecy. Enemy ports and operating areas anywhere in the world are easy targets for todays nuclear submarines to infiltrate and mine. Throughout World War II, submarines planted 576 mines, resulting in 27 ships sunk and 27 damaged. That is one ship damaged for every 10 mines laid!
- Surface-laid mines
- No longer in the U.S. inventory, these mines are could be adapted from almost all aircraft and submarine-laid mines if the need arised. Surface laying is the most economical method of delivery, but places the delivering vessel at risk when mining enemy waters and replenishing existing mine fields. These unacceptable constraints make the aircraft and submarine minelaying the mine delivery methods of choice over surface minelaying.
|
