250px, Weapons used in the Winter War. The original Finnish satchel charge is on the left. A satchel charge is a demolition device, primarily intended for combat, whose primary components are a charge of dynamite or a more potent explosive such as C-4 plastic explosive, a carrying device functionally similar to a

satchel A satchel is a bag with a strap, traditionally used for carrying books.Satchel
The Cambridge Dictionary. ...

messenger bag A messenger bag (also called a courier bag) is a type of sack, usually made of cloth (natural or synthetic). It is worn over one shoulder with a strap that goes across the chest resting the bag on the lower back. While messenger bags are som ...

, and a triggering mechanism; the term covers both

improvised Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

and formally designed devices. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

combat engineers A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tas ...

used satchel charges to demolish heavy stationary targets such as rails, obstacles, blockhouses,

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

s, caves, and bridges. The World War II–era

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

M37 Demolition Kit contained eight blocks of high explosive, with two priming assemblies, in a canvas bag with a shoulder strap. Part or all of this charge could be placed against a structure or slung into an opening. It was usually detonated with a pull igniter. When used as an

anti-tank weapon Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and Military tactics, tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapon ...

, charges were sufficient to severely damage the tracks. charges were enough to destroy medium tanks. Later in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

, Vietcong and North Vietnamese soldiers assigned elite sappers to stealthily penetrate defenses of sites controlled by enemy forces. Often, this meant using satchel charges as well as

Bangalore torpedo A Bangalore torpedo is an explosive charge placed within one or several connected tubes. It is used by combat engineers to clear obstacles that would otherwise require them to approach directly, possibly under fire. It is sometimes colloquially ...

es to blast through barbed wire entanglements, minefields, structures, and other fortifications. The later U.S. M183 Demolition Charge Assembly contained of C-4 in each satchel, and could be used with a timed fuse. In the Second Battle of Fallujah in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

, U.S. M2 20 lb assault demolitions were used to collapse houses being used as fighting positions by insurgents. Some special forces may use customized satchel charges designed to destroy their specific mission's target.

References

{{reflist Explosive weapons Anti-fortification weapons World War II infantry weapons of the United States World War II infantry weapons of the United Kingdom Anti-tank weapons Finnish inventions Weapons of the Philippine Army

See also

References