CZECHOSLOVAK MINE LAYER VEHICLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01043R000400100014-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: November 1, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

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CONFIDENT TAT, REPORT
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Czechoslovak Mine Layer Vehicle
DATE OF INFORMATION
PLACE ACQUIRED
ARMY review completed.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
CONFIDENTIAL
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DATE DISTR. 1 Nov. 1956
NO. OF PAGES 5
REFERENCES:
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CZECHOSLOVAK MINE LA VEHICLE
1. General Information
At a summer training area, known as the DOUPOV E13-091 (UR
-
6791) Training Area
12 or 15 unidentified mechanical mine layers, Each mine layer
was in an unidentified half-track with s- ,ially equipped bed0-"
the mine layer may
be used in conjunctiov with many uni&ntified Czechoslolkian half-tracks or trurAs
but since these did not lave the miake handling faattinli or the half-track with
specially equipped beds,)? the oparaticn would slow down Lamewhato
the mine layer in the half-trwk with th pei.I1 quipped be lay bury, and
cover tWo-rows'of PT-MI-K,AT mines (accrdina t pattel-a two kilrimetera long in
not more than 0 minute s030 In the
6th Engt Reg there were of the mine layer but none of the half-trakiy with
the specially equipped beds." In his battalion thy %1L6J the mint layers with
trucks or regular half-tracks0 Th t mine iaye ptdsatiafact5rily with ths
Praga RN gas operated 3f-ton and th Praga END dlitiselope,:lattl jt-ton trucl but
=satisfactorily with the Praga V3S tru6c,
6th Bn,
2. Half-track with SpA 17 14 .1-,11 Zed
70
half-t.r.v4 withe,itkr.tal. y ,a- %'p '
organic e uipment of so-cAll,d
7
_
prapor).
Bati.::1215:021F,41
improved Tatra-111 diesel angin, Th:'.
composition plates which pemitt it .,:: t',-;i6:?716:1 ,:-. paw3m:Aa nci',.,,
,
approximately 30 cm wide, wi-Lh fcy,J,, 17:,ogi ',,7heel aLd t.c e J,
:? ,,- 4;':.-.9::ilt, -irh , Dogia
Th
wheels were connected in pei.r ARTIS: A), T1-,, riia,4 (E, ::.mt.FAna::.-'. haaTT mEi
shield extending from the 7r.ton. (,?73s,.:t, (Lf the Ile,d to a,-.F.. tr, cogl .i,.Yh.6 and
,
along the entire length of the ,i;-7?-.3, The,
bed was approximately 2020 met wid acla to ti .illet ,,.-60
,, .? 1. hact a Temorsai
metal side that attached to the -invil . below thi7 .... jc, T.',1T,:!..q.1 :L/007,Z igii- 02,
? ,
steel?
30 Half-track Bed and LoadiLg
,-t? 601
_ .
Sunk into each side of tha half-iva:k 1,ed 6tcel Zloo: and ,.7ondA.g lo:Igitueli-
nally were two rubber compositico. T'-nr;4:,7vr beit, veei1ud
mately 30 cm wide and three rElte2'o Ioi Li th f thi, bed floc, at tlin
rear, was another endleas rubbm. cmp-mition It AnLA A)0 Ths4;
conveyor belts transported the, mintq, LITto tiF$ tt d f ths MIDAN layr0 Eadh
of the side conveyor belts w&iE,, controit `1',:y FMcptTat ',i.?ta.z,d1:;:z in 411, ws,711
located at the rear of the half-tr6z-k bed (sete An2J.$., A), Th t e:oldier-operat
could stop the conTeyors by a foot pedal which was lc'oat4id cm the flooT of the
well. There was also another ptdi there fcr ;aignallJI4; the haLf-t7ii.k dr1T6ra
the so1dier-(4eratos had prearranged A n915 with thm
driver for starting and stopping tht entire operation0
cases of 12
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The mine.3 were loaded in
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4
.3.
An uhiilown number of cases were stacked crossways and several cases high in the
bed center between the two side conveyor belts on slanting metal benches. An
additional unknown number of mines were stacked lengthwise.
600 to 700 mines could be placed in the half-track in this manner. With one
man standing in the center of the bed and feeding the mines individually from the
abates onto both conveyor belts, four men including the driver were necessary
for the entire operation.
4. The Mine Direr
t..
The mine layer itself was an iaverted eqle with a circular section at the apex.
This circular section connected to the rear of the half-track by means of an inte-
gral hinge or connector. The hollow trough-like leg of the layer were approxi-
mately 2.5 m long and 32 or 33 cm vide and tapered from 12 cm high at tht bottom to
eight centimeters high at the top witre they connected to the circular aection.
The legs and the circular section wel.e not covered? The circular section and leg
trough bottoms were approximately one-half centimeter thick, rounded on the bottom
edges and curved outward at the top? Along the sides and top edge the metal wae
thicker, the rolled top edge being almost one centimeter thick. The .nttom seation
at forward of the plow attached to the ground end viee reinforced
When in t ipor' or not, ia use9
these legs could be folded up inside or tne n .f-track bed by mane of another
integral hing9( located on the legs approximately 10 centimeters belcmthe,I,Lrcu-
lar section. 40 A hook on each side of the legs held this folding ee,::tion rigid
when in operation (see Annex A). The ppund edges of the legs were purpssely cut
in a jagged manner to permit easier exit 6f the mine.
5. The Plow
The plow was detachable and adjustable0 the adjltment
facilitated achieving the desired depth in different types of soil? In pasey
terrain, or brushy areas, the plow was removed and the mines. were laid on th#
surface. The cover-up attachment consisted of two metal plates apgn,r1mately one
centimeter thick? The plates were angled to refill the furrow and cciTT2' the
mines. The angle of the plates could be changed to achieve the best co' up in
different soils, This adjustment was achieved by a simple one-bolt-in.a--elot
device, located where the two plates joined in the rear? The circular section or
head of the planter was approximately 60 cm in diameter and made of metal one-half
centimeter thick. In the apex of the We was located a "stop for the three
-
pronged regulating trip device. The three-pronged trip device was geared to the
differential of the halfArack (or truck) and did the work of regulating and
spacing of mines, dropping a mine first into one leg and then into the other every
m. The trip device worked with the left-right motions picking up a min with
each motion and allowing it to slide down the leg at the completion of its motion?
This mine layer planted or layed mines in two row 2i meters apart, spacing mines in
individual rows five meters apart. The resulting pattern is shown belcu'p
0
m
5-rn 0
0 0 0
planter.
6. Use of Layer in Vehicle Other Tlian Half-Track with S eciall d Bed
the layer part alone could be utilized
with other unspecified Czechosloin vehicles0
this pattern was the only o
e attainable with the
A
During instructions at
41
71-ri 44Q. Y)e.k. )
ng area,
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CO 71 -ricie,31 i 3
the layer cold be, mahually loaded) i.e. without the conveyor
belts) but using the unknown linkage to the truck differential. The speed of
4.n0 laying was reduced in such cases.
?
7. The Mine Crate
??11110.11.WIN^114.110.11.801,111.0.-?
? The collapsible mine crate consisted of four s_ats evenly placed around the
sides and held 12 PT--K circular mines. The minor; were fitted into the case
edgeways. The rim around the bottom edge of C-Ae r- nes fitted into grooves cut
into the slokts of the case. The mines were pied bottom to bottom and two mine
fitted into the same groove. There were two sats across each end. These were
fastened at each end to a longitudinal s1a1, and in the center by a single pin.
At the Otte) where the end slats and the Iloagituchinal slats were connected) there
was a hasp and pin fastening on each slat (see Anne:. A). Two adjacent slats could
be unfastened to permit opening the end of the case for the removal of mines. There
was a two-inch wide metal band around the center of the crate) fastened only on
opposite sides of the crate) permitting the orate to be collapsed without removal
of the band. The band was approximately three millimeters thick. Th ,Q collapsib-
ility and the easy removal of either end of the crate greatly facilitated feeding
the mines to the conveyors.
1.
2.
Comment
both layer and half--
track were made from an original Czechoslovakian design.
Comment
Comment
maximum capability for a
two row) two kilometer strip was theoretically 20
minutes without stoppages) and 10 minutes was ritiam
as a maximum safety factor.
if desired) only one leg
coula be operated) i.e.) only one plow digging with
the other riding the surface could not explain
hgli torque or undue pressure on the working leg( was
avoided.
Comments Where bed is referred to in the report it means the
cargo space of the truck) not the framec
rot fi de :it a L
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Ide /
AGEND TO Agax 4
1. Lotgitudinal conveyors.
2. Rear conveyor roller.
3. Slatted metal benches.
4. Nine crate (see detail) .
5. MetpL1 slide
6. Tri b device (gear housing directly underneath).
7. Veils for conveyor operators.
8. Legs.
9. Plou attachment (adjustable and removable).
10. Cover-up attachment. ,
11. 0114tge1apdJhbokA'orfP1414got,legs Inside of track.
12. Control pedal for stopping conveyor belt.
13. Control pedal for signalling driver of half-tr4A
14. Removable metal side.
15. Permanently attached metal side.
0,6 3-e) ickyi 4Z/a L
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