The POMZ-2
Anti-Personnel Mine in Pictures

This section has many detailed color pictures of the POMZ-2 anti-personnel land mine.  To view a specific part of the weapon simply click on the desired part below.

 

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The Mine Components

The POMZ-2 is made up of four primary components - the MUV series fuse/detonator, the mine body, the explosive charge, and the support stake.  In the bottom left picture three of these are visible.  The bottom right photograph illustrates the manner in which they are assembled.

 

 

The Top of the Mine

The manner in which the MUV fuse is placed inside the mine can be seen here.  It is simply inserted into the block of explosive through the hole in the top of the mine.

It is a very weak design, and the majority of the explosion would just as likely escaped out of the top or bottom.

 

 

POMZ-2 Mine Bottom

Here can be seen the underside of the mine.  The large opening for the explosive charge and support stake can be seen here.  There was no form of restraining system for the explosive charge or the outer fragmentation casing.  This meant that upon detonation the majority of the blast would escape downwards resulting in the mine exploding into a very few large pieces - reducing its casualty radius.

 

 

 

Fragmentation Pattern

This series of photographs will help to illustrate the fragmentation pattern on the mine.  Across the circumference of the mine the pattern is not regular.  In the upper right picture (looking down on the mine) it can be seen that there are more fragments on two side of the mine when compared to those sides adjacent to them.  Four rows of six fragments can be seen in the bottom left picture, while only a single row of six fragments are visible in the lower right picture.  This irregular design further reduced the weapon's effectiveness, as did the tendency for the explosive to blow downward into the support stake or upward through the fuzewell.

 

 

The MUV-1 Detonator

POMZ-2 mines most often used one of the MUV series of detonators.  These simple devices consist of a spring (inside) driving a piston (visible at the far right).  When the tripwire is pulled, it removes the stopper (shown here as a silver wire) causing the spring to drive the piston into the detonator's primer.  The remains of one such detonator can be seen after the vertical line on the left of the object in the picture here.

 

 

The support stake

POMZ-2 mines are most commonly mounted on a wooden support stake when they are used.  These are shipped with the mines in the same crate and are often (but not always painted green).  In the photograph at the bottom right some markings are visible - the letters KT above a number 5 and another number which is missing, in a circle.