The TM-44 was a circular metal-cased Soviet anti-tank landmine used during the Second World War. The mine's case consisted of a short cylinder with the entire top surface being used as a pressure plate. The mine was normally painted olive drab and was broadly similar to the earlier, smaller, TM-41 mine.
The earlier TM-41 was used widely between 1941 and 1942, but production was discontinued because of the lack of metal available to Soviet industry.[1] By 1944 the situation had improved and production of metal mines resumed. The TM-44 is similar to the earlier mine, weighing more with a larger charge.
140 to 260 kilograms of pressure on the top pressure plate resulted in it bending downwards and pressing on the MV-5 fuze. One to three kilograms of pressure on the head of the fuze was sufficient to activate it. The fuze's lock balls are forced out of position by the pressure, releasing a striker, which triggers a detonator, then a booster and then the mine's main charge. The mine was used with anti-handling devices.
Production of the mine ceased in 1946 with the adoption of the TM-46 mine, which was modelled on German Tellermine designs.
The mine was prone to rusting, exposing the MV-5 fuze which could be triggered by as little as 1 to 3 kilograms of pressure. It is found in Yemen.
Specifications
- Diameter: 254 mm
- Height: 140 mm
- Weight: 7.7 kg
- Explosive content: 5.4 kg of Amatol
References
