Technical and tactical characteristics of the TM-72 mine
- Mine type
- anti-bottom shaped-charge
- Casing
- metal
- Weight
- 6 kg
- Weight of explosive charge
- 2.5 kg
- Explosive type
- TG-40
- Diameter
- 250 mm
- Height with MVN-62, MVN-72, MVN-80 fuze
- 128 mm
- Height with MVSh-62 fuze
- 330 mm
- Effect
- penetrates armor up to 100 mm, producing a 50-60 mm diameter hole from a distance of 0.25-0.5 m
- Operating temperature range
- -40 to +50 °C
- Emplacement method
- on the ground and in the ground manually, or by laying from a vehicle
- Color
- olive / green
- Marking
- TM-72 - mine designation;
80-6-73 - manufacturer plant code - lot number - year of manufacture (numbers may vary);
TG – explosive designation
Design and operating principle
The TM-72 mine consists of a casing filled with a shaped charge with an additional detonator, and a fuze. The mine has a removable webbing carrying handle.
In the metal casing (pos. 3) of the mine, in the center, there is a well (pos. 4) with threads for screwing in the fuze (pos. 2). On the side of the casing there is an “eye” through which the explosive charge is poured. In the absence of the fuze, the threaded part of the well is closed with a polyethylene plug (pos. 5). A rubber gasket (pos. 6) is used to seal the joint between the mine and the fuze.
The shaped charge (pos. 7) has an annular shaped-charge cavity with a steel liner (pos. 8). To ensure better formation of the shaped-charge jet (Fig. 3), an insert (pos. 10) made of foam plastic with a metal washer (pos. 9) is used. The additional detonator (pos. 11) is a TNT block weighing 20 g, secured at the bottom of the fuze well.
Preparation and emplacement
Minefields using TM-72 mines are emplaced manually or laid from vehicles.
TM-72 mines may be emplaced:
- In the ground, flush with the ground surface.
- On the ground surface (in winter - on snow).
- In snow, concealed with a layer of snow up to 15 cm.
Concealment of emplaced TM-72 mines is carried out using surrounding material (grass, leaves, etc.) or a layer of soil up to 2 cm. Concealing the mine with a layer of soil exceeding 2 cm is not permitted, as this reduces the mine’s destructive effect. Concealment with snow, in a layer up to 15 cm, has almost no effect on the mine’s armor penetration. Mines emplaced in the ground (snow) are more resistant to the effects of the blast wave of a nuclear explosion and to a mine-clearing charge.
To emplace the mine in the ground manually, it is necessary to:
- Dig a hole 8-10 cm deep to the size of the mine casing.
- Place the mine in the hole, and fill the voids around the sides of the mine with soil; excess soil removed when digging the hole must be concealed separately in depressions in the terrain.
- Conceal the mine by bending grass over it, using leaves, sprinkling the mine casing with a layer of up to 2 cm, dust, or other local material matching the background of the surrounding terrain.
- Set the mine fuze to the armed position and adjust the concealment.
The steps for setting the fuze to the armed/transport position depend on the type of fuze used.
