Fit to be Fried

The term “Claymore” was first used to describe a Scottish Broadsword commonly used to wreak bloody havoc in warfare from 1500 to 1700, a two-hand-wielded behemoth that could cleave a man in two under the force of it’s own gravity, let alone when being swung at you. The focus of this article is not, however, about this monster of a sword, or it’s sissy little brother of the same name, which was used after 1715 in Scotland, and had a basket hilt to “protect the hand while in use” (what a bunch of babies). No, this article is about the M18A1 Claymore Anti-Personnel Mine, a worthy successor to the name, for reasons I’ll now explain.

For one thing, the Claymore mine was invented by an actual Scotsman, by the name of Norman A. MacLeod. Okay, technically, the initial idea behind the Claymore was actually developed by the Germans during World War Two, utilizing the “Misznay-Schardin effect”¹.

The Canadians fielded a similar weapon known as “the Phoenix” to counter the German mines, but it was not until the Korean War that MacLeod began to develop his own utilization, and not until the Vietnam War was the M18A1 finally put into widespread use by the U.S. military.

The M18A1 is particulalrly effective against personnel (hence the name “Anti-Personnel Mine”), as it uses C-4 to fire about 700 steel ball-bearings in a 60° arc at nearly 4,000 ft (or 1,200 meters, for our friends across the pond), rendering anything fleshy directly in front of it into a fine pink mist, and leaving anything anywhere near it’s path in a condition much worse than it had previously enjoyed. It’s casing is made of a hard green plastic with the words “Front Towards Enemy”(duh.) embossed on it’s front. Below is some more info on the Claymore, for those who are interested.

from WikiPedia:

The Claymore mine is typically deployed in one of three modes: Controlled, Uncontrolled, or Time-delayed.

1. Controlled Mode (also known as Command Detonation)
   The mine is detonated by the operator as the forward edge of the enemy approaches a point within the killing zone (20 to 30 meters (65 to 100 ft)) where maximum casualties can be inflicted. Controlled detonation may be accomplished by use of either an electrical or nonelectrical firing system. When mines are employed in the controlled role, they are treated the same as individual weapons and are reported for inclusion in the unit fire plan. They are not reported as mines; however, the emplacing unit must ensure that the mines are removed, detonated, or turned over to a relieving unit. The M57 Firing Device (colloquially referred to as the “clacker”) is included with the M18A1 Claymore Mine so that it can be used in the controlled mode. When Claymore Mines are daisy chained together, one M57 firing device can initiate several claymore mines.

2. Uncontrolled Mode (also known as Victim Initiated Detonation)
   Uncontrolled firing is accomplished when the mine is installed in such a manner as to cause an unsuspecting enemy to detonate the mine. Mines employed in this manner must be reported and recorded as land mines. There are many mechanisms that can be used to initiate the M18A1 in uncontrolled mode, including the M142 Multipurpose Firing Device, M5 Pressure Release Device (mousetrap), tripwires, strikers, infrared sensors, acoustic & vibration sensors.
3. Time-delayed Mode
   Time-delayed firing involves the fitting of a short timed fuse and a fuse igniter to allow the mine to be used as a pursuit deterrent. This, anecdotally, may be combined with a CS grenade or bag containing the irritant contained in a CS grenade. The mine is emplaced, quickly oriented on the direction pursuers are most likely to take, and the fuse is ignited before the position is abandoned.

from Armystudyguide.com:

Once done installing the M18A1, how far behind the mine should the wire be secured?
1 meter

Describe the M18A1
A curved, rectangular-shaped weapon, with an olive drab molded case of fiberglass filled polystyrene (plastic). In the front portion of the case is a fragmentation face containing steel spheres embedded in a plastic matrix. The back portion of the case behind the matrix contains a layer of explosives.

What is the M18A1 primarily used for?
It was designed for use against mass infantry attacks

What is the first step in installing the M18A1?
Inspect the components

How much does the M18A1 weigh?
1.5 lbs

What color is a “training” M18A1?
Blue

How long is the wire that the M4 blasting cap is connected to?
100 ft

Name the components that are in the bandoleer of the M18A1
The M7 bandoleer has two pockets. One pocket contain the mine and the other contains:

* M40 test set
* M57 firing device
* M4 Electric Blasting cap Assembly
* Instructions

Where will you find the instructions for the employment of the M18A1?
Under the flap of the bandoleer

What color is a “live” M18A1?
Green

What is the effective frontal range of the M18A1?
When detonated, the M18A1 mine will deliver spherical steel fragments over a 60° fan-shaped pattern that is 2 meters high and 50 meters wide at a range of 50 meters

Who keeps the M57 firing device while the M18A1 is being installed?
The individual installing the mine

What Field Manual covers the M18A1?
FM 23-23

What are the two sites used on the M18A1 to aim it?
Knife-edge and slit-type peep sights

When aiming the M18A1 using the slit-type peepsight, how far above the ground do you aim?
2 and 1/2 meters above the ground

When aiming the M18A1 using the knife edge sight, how far above the ground do you aim?
You aim at ground level

What type of explosive is used in the M18A1?

1.5 lbs composition C4 (plastic explosive)

One M40 test set is included with how may M18A1 claymores?
1 in each case of 6

What is the killing zone of the M18A1?
About 20 to 30 meters

How far is the danger area to the rear of the M18A1?
16 meters (The mine firing position should be in a foxhole or covered position at least 16 meters to the rear or the side of the emplaced mine.)

semperfried76 is the last hope for humanity.
Too bad he hates you all.

Sadly, the M18A1 Claymore, along with most other landmines, is a weapon whose usefulness in war has been gutted by anti-mine treaties which severely limit it’s use to certain guidelines. Most notably of these is the use of the Claymore in uncontrolled or “tripwire” mode, which requires the most stringent guidelines, including clearly marking the area which has been mined to avoid civilian casualties².

Put this in your pipe and smoke it, Madame Speaker; will you give the Iranians credit for this too? death toll has barely passed 4,000, which, for a war that’s been going on for over five years is incredible, especially when you consider that in the three years of the Korean war, we lost 33,000 men in the line of duty. The South Koreans lost 47,000 on top of that, bringing the 3 year total to approximately 80,000¹. It seems that not only is the surge working, it’s working incredibly well, despite all the negative press the war is getting on the home front.

Al Qaeda near defeat, on defensive: CIA chief | Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda is essentially defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia and on the defensive throughout much of the world, CIA Director Michael Hayden said in a Washington Post interview published on Friday.

The upbeat assessment came less than a year after the CIA warned of new threats from a resurgent al Qaeda, the Post said.

“On balance, we are doing pretty well,” Hayden told the newspaper this week citing major gains against Osama bin Laden’s network and its allies.

“Near strategic defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq. Near strategic defeat for al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia. Significant setbacks for al Qaeda globally — and here I’m going to use the word ‘ideologically,’ as a lot of the Islamic world pushes back on their form of Islam,” Hayden said.

Here we have a great con, as if the survivors of the Marines killed in Beirut in 1983 are EVER going to see a dime out of Iran. I don’t want to take the side of a terrorist supporting regime such as Tehran, but something just doesn’t seem right about this. It’s almost as if this was a battle waged by and for the lawyers. Can they truly expect Iran to capitulate to a demand for 2.7 BILLION? Here is the story, from Reuters, today:

U.S. terrorism claimants compete for Iranian assets | Reuters

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Families of those killed in the Beirut Marine barracks bombing 25 years ago staked their claim on Thursday to ancient Persian clay tablets, on loan to a U.S. museum, to satisfy a $2.7 billion judgment won against Iran.

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