If those are actual impact fuses we see there, he could realistically set it off by kicking them, since they are made of lead. Since someone also took the photo, I assume this was not a live munition, but at the end it is possible. Also, I find this is supposed to be 1945 too. After the first page of Google results I stopped looking for actual information.
It’s been defused, those protuberances would normally have a glass vial with a rubber cover over it, the vial breaks which charges a battery which fires the ignitors.
Okay but is it actually defused or did they break off? Because that is what it looks like, they were not actually removed, then there would be nothing.
The “longer” bit is an aluminum or brass “prick hole” that leads to a small tube that houses a battery pack minus electrolyte. The fact it’s missing all it’s horns and it’s been rolled forward enough to remove the battery priming cup (essentially) means it almost certainly is defused.
Yes it’s packed with amatol but that’s pretty stable so long as it’s dry, stable enough we still find unexploded naval mines today. Chances are of you’re close enough to coastal mines that they wash up your probably in range of the bombings so in the long run it’s probably less risky then walking around town.
Those are the base of the hertz horn linked above, they do not need to be removed only the ampule under the cap, you can unscrew them or remove the priming cup and smash them. The base just holds the ampule and guides the acid into the priming tubes, it’s just a hunk of metal. British WW2 influence triggers are smaller and flatter and so far as I’m aware only the egg shaped mk12(?) ever got anything but hertz horns in coastal use.
The reference video you can actually see that several are bent over already meaning that one is likely a dud which is why they removed the priming cup first rather then the horn first. Essentially they chose to assume they’re already racing the clock and chose rolling it before removing the horns assuming that the broken ones could still leak just enough acid to initiate the ignitor.
Ed: I should point out the hertz horn bases are still in the mine in your reference video, you can see the aluminum hex they’re just harder to see with the extended horn bosses.
If those are actual impact fuses we see there, he could realistically set it off by kicking them, since they are made of lead. Since someone also took the photo, I assume this was not a live munition, but at the end it is possible. Also, I find this is supposed to be 1945 too. After the first page of Google results I stopped looking for actual information.
It’s been defused, those protuberances would normally have a glass vial with a rubber cover over it, the vial breaks which charges a battery which fires the ignitors.
≈halfway down
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WAMBR_Mines.php
https://www.reddit.com/r/ThingsCutInHalfPorn/comments/12fbbbv/hertz_horn_naval_mine_fuze_containing_a_glass/?rdt=59285
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30021224
Fused, defused… it’s still a big ball of metal packed with hundreds(?) of kilograms of explosives. Big nope.
As long as the detonators are missing it isn’t much more dangerous than sitting on a fuel tank.
Okay but is it actually defused or did they break off? Because that is what it looks like, they were not actually removed, then there would be nothing.
Do you want to know how they’re defused? It involves a hammer and moving rapidly.
https://imgur.com/II5CJur
Imagine you unscrew a lightbulb, there is still something there after.
Correct, this is what it looks like. What we see in the picture is well longer.
The “longer” bit is an aluminum or brass “prick hole” that leads to a small tube that houses a battery pack minus electrolyte. The fact it’s missing all it’s horns and it’s been rolled forward enough to remove the battery priming cup (essentially) means it almost certainly is defused.
Yes it’s packed with amatol but that’s pretty stable so long as it’s dry, stable enough we still find unexploded naval mines today. Chances are of you’re close enough to coastal mines that they wash up your probably in range of the bombings so in the long run it’s probably less risky then walking around town.
https://imgur.com/II5CJur
Doesn’t that nice video proof that it was not defused? Cap is still on, triggers not screwed out but instead appear broken off?
Those are the base of the hertz horn linked above, they do not need to be removed only the ampule under the cap, you can unscrew them or remove the priming cup and smash them. The base just holds the ampule and guides the acid into the priming tubes, it’s just a hunk of metal. British WW2 influence triggers are smaller and flatter and so far as I’m aware only the egg shaped mk12(?) ever got anything but hertz horns in coastal use.
The reference video you can actually see that several are bent over already meaning that one is likely a dud which is why they removed the priming cup first rather then the horn first. Essentially they chose to assume they’re already racing the clock and chose rolling it before removing the horns assuming that the broken ones could still leak just enough acid to initiate the ignitor.
Defused mk12 with hertz horn bases still in place on display for reference. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_XVII_contact_naval_mine#/media/File%3AImperial_War_Museum_North_-_British_Mk_XVII_contact_sea_mine_1.jpg
Ed: I should point out the hertz horn bases are still in the mine in your reference video, you can see the aluminum hex they’re just harder to see with the extended horn bosses.
Super interesting topic. Thanks mate!