The Anti-Tank Mine, General Service, Mk V was a cylindrical, metal-cased United Kingdom anti-tank blast mine that entered service in 1943, during the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

. It was replaced in British service with the

Mk 7 mine The Mk 7 mine was a circular British anti-tank blast mine. It replaced the World War 2-era Mk 5 mine, and has in turn been replaced by the L9 bar mine. The Mk 7 can be laid either by hand or from a mechanical mine layer. The mine is conventiona ...

. Two versions of the mine were produced, the ''Mk. V'' and the ''Mk. VC'' with the same external dimensions. The only difference was that the Mk. VC had a half-sized explosive charge. The mine used a spider pressure plate that makes it resistant to blast overpressure. The spider rests on a central Mk 3 fuse (sometimes referred to as No.3 Mk I), which contains a spring-loaded striker held in place by a

shear pin {{unreferenced, date=September 2018 A shear pin is a mechanical detail designed to allow a specific outcome to occur once a predetermined force is applied. It can either function as a safeguard designed to break to protect other parts, or as a con ...

. The mine, being made largely of steel tended to rust making its activation unpredictable. It is found in

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, Egypt,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

, Sudan, and

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

Variants

* Mine G.S. Mk VC (general service version) * Mine G.S. Mk V

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * ''Jane's Mines and Mine Clearance 2005-2006'' * NAVORD OP 1665, ''British Explosive Ordnance'', Naval Ordnance Systems Command (Updated 1970) Anti-tank mines of the United Kingdom World War II weapons of the United Kingdom {{Landmine-stub