C3A1 mine
Encyclopedia
The C3A1 and C3A2 are Canadian
minimum metal
anti-personnel mine
s. The differences between them are very minor and hard to distinguish visually. They were first deployed circa 1959.
An Elsie mine is constructed of mainly from plastic, which makes it difficult to detect. The mine resembles a short, stubby carrot
in appearance. Generally, Elsie mines are either coloured black or alternatively khaki
for use in desert environments. In any case Elsie mines can easily be spray painted to blend in with an arctic or jungle scenario. Training (i.e. inert) versions are coloured blue. Regardless of colour an Elsie mine has a small raised pressure plate on the top surface of the mine which is covered with a small pad of flock
material. The flocking material is designed to act as camouflage
. Sustained downward pressure on the small pressure plate (by the victim's foot) cocks a spring-loaded
striker
. When the pressure plate has been pressed down approximately 2.5 cms, a single retaining ball bearing
flips side-ways into a recess. When the ball bearing flips side-ways, it frees the striker (held under tension by a coiled spring beneath it) which snaps upwards into the stab detonator
, thereby detonating the explosive charge.
The mine comprises two separate items; the body and charge. The body is fitted with a protective dust
cap, which is removed in order to insert the charge. Around the shaft of the charge there is a restraining safety clip to prevent it moving downwards whilst in transit, which could accidentally trigger detonation. The safety clip is removed when the mine is emplaced, at which point the mine becomes armed and will detonate if someone steps on it. Elsie mines are supplied with an aluminium
detector ring fitted. However, the ring is designed to be easily removed, and without it the mine becomes a minimal metal mine
.
Interestingly, the Elsie mine is one of very few anti-personnel mines which use a shaped charge
. As can be seen from the specification below, the explosive filling is unusually small (i.e. weighs 9.45 grams) compared to most other anti-personnel mine designs, which generally contain a minimum of 30 gram
s of high explosives. However, the shaped charge in the Elsie mine ensures that most of the force of detonation
is directed upwards, straight through the sole of the victim's boot and into their foot. A person who has been injured by an Elsie mine generally has a small, deep, circular penetration wound which extends all the way through the bones of their foot and out the other side. The wound is generally severe and debilitating, though rarely fatal - assuming that prompt emergency medical care is provided. In contrast to other anti-personnel mines (e.g. the PMN
series), the Elsie is designed primarily to disable its victims, rather than kill them.
Due to the simplicity of the firing mechanism, the Elsie mine is not resistant to blast-clearing methods, unlike other designs such as the VS-MK2 mine
.
The Elsie mine was formerly in service with the Canadian
and British
armed services, and was manufactured by both nations. However, all stocks of anti-personnel mines (and equipment related to their manufacture) have been destroyed by Canada and the UK, in order to comply with the Ottawa Treaty
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
minimum metal
Minimum metal mine
A minimum metal mine is a land mine that is designed to use the minimum amount of metal in its construction . Both minimum metal anti-tank and anti-personnel mines exist. Some designs contain almost no metal at all...
anti-personnel mine
Anti-personnel mine
Anti-personnel mines are a form of land mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to anti-tank mines, which are designed for use against vehicles...
s. The differences between them are very minor and hard to distinguish visually. They were first deployed circa 1959.
An Elsie mine is constructed of mainly from plastic, which makes it difficult to detect. The mine resembles a short, stubby carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
in appearance. Generally, Elsie mines are either coloured black or alternatively khaki
Khaki
This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...
for use in desert environments. In any case Elsie mines can easily be spray painted to blend in with an arctic or jungle scenario. Training (i.e. inert) versions are coloured blue. Regardless of colour an Elsie mine has a small raised pressure plate on the top surface of the mine which is covered with a small pad of flock
Flocking (texture)
Flocking is the process of depositing many small fiber particles onto a surface. It can also refer to the texture produced by the process, or to any material used primarily for its flocked surface. Flocking of an article can be performed for the purpose of increasing its value in terms of the...
material. The flocking material is designed to act as camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
. Sustained downward pressure on the small pressure plate (by the victim's foot) cocks a spring-loaded
Spring (device)
A spring is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of spring steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication...
striker
Firing pin
A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...
. When the pressure plate has been pressed down approximately 2.5 cms, a single retaining ball bearing
Ball bearing
A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this by using at least two races to contain the balls and transmit...
flips side-ways into a recess. When the ball bearing flips side-ways, it frees the striker (held under tension by a coiled spring beneath it) which snaps upwards into the stab detonator
Detonator
A detonator is a device used to trigger an explosive device. Detonators can be chemically, mechanically, or electrically initiated, the latter two being the most common....
, thereby detonating the explosive charge.
The mine comprises two separate items; the body and charge. The body is fitted with a protective dust
Dust
Dust consists of particles in the atmosphere that arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind , volcanic eruptions, and pollution...
cap, which is removed in order to insert the charge. Around the shaft of the charge there is a restraining safety clip to prevent it moving downwards whilst in transit, which could accidentally trigger detonation. The safety clip is removed when the mine is emplaced, at which point the mine becomes armed and will detonate if someone steps on it. Elsie mines are supplied with an aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
detector ring fitted. However, the ring is designed to be easily removed, and without it the mine becomes a minimal metal mine
Minimum metal mine
A minimum metal mine is a land mine that is designed to use the minimum amount of metal in its construction . Both minimum metal anti-tank and anti-personnel mines exist. Some designs contain almost no metal at all...
.
Interestingly, the Elsie mine is one of very few anti-personnel mines which use a shaped charge
Shaped charge
A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, to initiate nuclear weapons, to penetrate armor, and in the oil and gas industry...
. As can be seen from the specification below, the explosive filling is unusually small (i.e. weighs 9.45 grams) compared to most other anti-personnel mine designs, which generally contain a minimum of 30 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s of high explosives. However, the shaped charge in the Elsie mine ensures that most of the force of detonation
Detonation
Detonation involves a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front propagating directly in front of it. Detonations are observed in both conventional solid and liquid explosives, as well as in reactive gases...
is directed upwards, straight through the sole of the victim's boot and into their foot. A person who has been injured by an Elsie mine generally has a small, deep, circular penetration wound which extends all the way through the bones of their foot and out the other side. The wound is generally severe and debilitating, though rarely fatal - assuming that prompt emergency medical care is provided. In contrast to other anti-personnel mines (e.g. the PMN
PMN mine
The PMN series of blast anti-personnel mines were designed and manufactured in Russia. They are one of the most widely used and commonly found devices during demining operations.-PMN-1:...
series), the Elsie is designed primarily to disable its victims, rather than kill them.
Due to the simplicity of the firing mechanism, the Elsie mine is not resistant to blast-clearing methods, unlike other designs such as the VS-MK2 mine
VS-MK2 mine
The VS-MK-2 is a plastic bodied scatterable anti-personnel blast mine formerly manufactured by the now-defunct Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, an Italian high-tech defense industry specialized in area denial systems . The mine is extremely difficult to detect because of its low metal content...
.
The Elsie mine was formerly in service with the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
armed services, and was manufactured by both nations. However, all stocks of anti-personnel mines (and equipment related to their manufacture) have been destroyed by Canada and the UK, in order to comply with the Ottawa Treaty
Ottawa Treaty
The Ottawa Treaty or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, officially known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, aims at eliminating anti-personnel landmines around the world. , there were 158...
.
Specifications
- Diameter: 51 mm
- Height: 76 mm
- Weight: 80 grams
- Explosive content: 9.45 g of Composition A5 - (98.5% RDXRDXRDX, an initialism for Research Department Explosive, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. It was developed as an explosive which was more powerful than TNT, and it saw wide use in WWII. RDX is also known as cyclonite, hexogen , and T4...
mixed with 1.5% stearic acidStearic acidStearic acid is the saturated fatty acid with an 18 carbon chain and has the IUPAC name octadecanoic acid. It is a waxy solid, and its chemical formula is CH316CO2H. Its name comes from the Greek word στέαρ "stéatos", which means tallow. The salts and esters of stearic acid are called stearates...
) - Operating pressure: 7.25 to 13.6 kg
Variants
- C3A1
- C3A2
- M25 - A US copy of the mine
- Type 67 - A JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese copy of the mine
