BACKGROUND: The German army utilized a wide variety of assorted anti-personnel and anti-vehicles mines as well as assorted demolition charges. The mines and demolition charges were generally handled by Pionier, (Combat Engineers), troops and each Division in the German army, and the Waffen-SS, had an organic Engineer battalion that consisted of personnel specially trained in destroying enemy obstacles, creating forward defensive positions, bridging and assault tactics. As a result the Engineers were issued with assorted, specialized, equipment designed to meet their needs as the spearhead troops. Along with the Engineer’s assault packs, long handle shovels, picks and axes and explosive tool kits the Engineers were also equipped with a wide variety of explosive charges, mines and the appropriate detonators and igniters. Of Note: As the spearhead troops, personnel serving with an Engineer unit, generally experienced higher casualties rates then standard units. Developed in late 1942 the wooden construction, anti-personnel "Shoe Mine" was an early, and successful, attempt to evade the electrical mine detectors which worked by detecting variations in the local magnetic field. The "Shoe Mines" were generally buried just beneath the surface of the ground and were armed with two hundred grams of TNT and activated by the Z42 pull igniter. Not only were the "Shoe Mines" effective, they were also inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 2 1/8" tall, 4" wide, 5 1/8" deep, natural slat and plywood construction "shoe mine" with a fold back, nail hinged top lid. The well made mine has glued, dovetailed corner joints, glued on top and bottom panels and the top lid has diagonally angled side panels. The front section of the mine has a circular, drilled hole designed to insert the igniter. The front section of the top lid has a vertically, rectangular cut-out also designed to insert the igniter. One side of the mine has the impressed, manufacturer’s three letter code appears to be, "ljh", indicating manufacturer by Karl Krauss of Vienna. The mine is in overall very good condition with light age toning. Also included is a roughly, 3 1/4" tall, 3/8" diameter, molded black bakelite, tooled alloy and sheet metal construction Z42 igniter. The igniter has a separate, screw threaded, alloy insert to the bottom edge and a small, vertically extended, sheet metal, activation pin with a separate, removable sheet metal securing pin to the top edge. The igniter has no visible manufacturer’s markings.

GRADE ***3/4                             PRICE $352.00