GMZ-3 Armored minelayer
http://www.military-today.com/engineering/gmz_3.htmThis vehicle can lay anti-tank minefields on the frontline. Soviet manuals stated that this lightly armored vehicle can lay minefields during the battle. It can lay anti-tank mines on the ground without digging them, or alternatively can dig them in and conceal the emplacement. It can also lay mines on the snow.
Such vehicles are typically used in the areas where enemy has a lot of tanks and mechanized units and tank breakthrough is possible. The mines are laid along expected routes where the hostile tanks might go. Soviet doctrine stated that the GMZ-3 vehicles must be sent immediately to locations where enemy tanks broke through the Soviet defensive lines.
This vehicles uses older Soviet TM-52, TM-57, TM-62 or Russian TM-89 mines with contact of magnetic fuses. Each mine weights around 12 kg. A total of 208 mines are carried onboard.
Anti-tank mines are automatically fed into the dispenser. There is also mechanism which arms the mines. There is a plough assembly, which digs the mines into the ground or snow. This plow conceals the mines by dumping back the dugout soil or snow over them. Concealed mines are barely visible.
Minelaying speed is up to 16 km/h when the mines are laid on the surface and 6 km/h when the mines are dug into the ground.
There are predefined settings to lay mines every 4, 5 and 5.5 meters. Basically mines with contact fuses are laid every 4 meters, while mines with magnetic fuses are laid every 5.5 meters.
A typical unit consists of three GMZ-3 minelayers. Within 15 minutes such unit can lay a dense minefield stretching for 1-2 km. Within 30 minutes it can lay a minified stretching for 2.5-3 km. Such minefield would be impossible to pass for hostile tanks without sappers of dedicated minefield breaching vehicles.
[ Bericht 13% gewijzigd door slashdotter3 op 02-04-2023 00:08:20 ]