Teller mine
Encyclopedia
The Teller mine
was a German-made antitank mine common in World War II
. With explosives sealed inside a sheet metal casing and fitted with a pressure-actuated fuze
, Teller mines had a built-in carrying handle on the side. As the name suggests (Teller is the German word for dish or plate) the mines were plate-shaped. Containing little more than 5.5 kilograms of TNT and a detonation pressure of roughly 200 pounds, the Teller mine was capable of blasting the tracks off of any World War II-era tank or destroying a lightly armored vehicle. Because of its rather high operating pressure, only a vehicle or heavy object passing over the Teller mine would set it off.
Teller mines had two additional fuze wells (on the side and underneath) to enable anti-handling device
s to be attached.
There were four models of Teller Mine made during World War II:
Approximately 3,622,900 of these mines were produced by Germany from 1943 to 1944.
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
was a German-made antitank mine common in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. With explosives sealed inside a sheet metal casing and fitted with a pressure-actuated fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
, Teller mines had a built-in carrying handle on the side. As the name suggests (Teller is the German word for dish or plate) the mines were plate-shaped. Containing little more than 5.5 kilograms of TNT and a detonation pressure of roughly 200 pounds, the Teller mine was capable of blasting the tracks off of any World War II-era tank or destroying a lightly armored vehicle. Because of its rather high operating pressure, only a vehicle or heavy object passing over the Teller mine would set it off.
Teller mines had two additional fuze wells (on the side and underneath) to enable anti-handling device
Anti-handling device
An anti-handling device is an attachment to or integral part of a landmine or other munition e.g. some fuze types found in air-dropped bombs such as the M83, cluster bombs and sea mines. It is specifically designed to prevent tampering. When the protected device is disturbed it detonates, killing...
s to be attached.
There were four models of Teller Mine made during World War II:
- Teller Mine 43Tellermine 43The Tellermine 43 was a German circular steel cased anti-tank blast mine used during the Second World War. It was a simplified version of the Tellermine 42, which enabled simpler production techniques. Between March 1943 and the end of World War II, over 3.6 million Tellermine 43s were produced by...
- Teller Mine 42Tellermine 42The Tellermine 42 was a German metal cased anti-tank blast mine used during the Second World War. The mine was a development of the Tellermine 35 with improved resistance to blast. It was followed by the simplified Tellermine 43....
- Teller Mine 35Tellermine 35The Tellermine 35 was a German metal cased anti-tank mine used extensively during the Second World War. The mine's case is made of sheet steel, and has a slightly convex pressure plate on the top surface with a central fuse well...
- Teller Mine 29Tellermine 29The Tellermine 29 is a round metal cased German anti-tank blast landmine. It first entered service in 1929, and the initial German defence plan was to purchase 6,000 a year, but in January 1931 it was decided to speed up the purchase process and 61,418 were ordered...
Approximately 3,622,900 of these mines were produced by Germany from 1943 to 1944.