Operational Medicine 2001
Field Medical Service School
Student Handbook

ANTIPERSONNEL DEVICES
FMST 0208
8 Nov 99

TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE

1.      Given a combat environment (day and night), and individual combat equipment, perform immediate action against antipersonnel devices, per the reference.  (FMST.02.08)

ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1.      Without the aid of reference materials and given a list of immediate actions, select the appropriate immediate actions to take against antipersonnel devices, per the student handout.  (FMST.02.08a)

2.      Without the aid of reference materials and given a list of antipersonnel devices and a list of characteristics, select the characteristics for the device, per the student handout.  (FMST.02.08b)

OUTLINE

A.     PURPOSE.  The purposes of antipersonnel devices are to:

1. Destroy equipment and/or personnel.

2. Delay the enemy.

3. Channels the movement of the enemy to a chosen field of battle.

4. Harass and demoralize the enemy.

5. Supplement other weapons.

6. Strengthen unit defense to economize forces

B.     GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MINES.

1.  Definition.  A mine is an encased charge of explosive, bulk explosive or other materials, such as chemical charge, designed to destroy vehicles, boats and aircraft or to kill or otherwise incapacitate personnel.

D.     THE MAIN CHARGE CAN BE:  

1. Explosive

2. Toxic chemical agent

3. Any material which will burst into flame

E.      THE FIRING CHAIN.

I.        INDICATIONS OF MINE AND BOOBY TRAP PLACEMENT:

1. Mud smear, mud balls, dung, boards or other materials on road.

2. Disturbed tire marks, ruts, or skid marks.

3. Suspicious items in tree or bushes.

4. Enemy markings, the enemy will mark most mine/booby traps in some way.

J.       IMMEDIATE ACTION FOR ANTI-PERSONNEL DEVICES:

1. Hit the deck with your feet in the direction of the blast, cover all exposed skin areas, and sound the alarm.

2. If the mine is not tripped then mark the mine and contact E.O.D. Only as a last resort would you blow the mine.

K.    PROBING FOR MINES:

1.   Remove any items that may interfere with your ability to probe.

2.   Conduct probing.

3.   Hold the probe in your hand palm up.

4.   Push the probe gently into the ground at an angle less than 45 degrees.

5.   Put just enough pressure on the probe to sink it slowly into the ground.

6.   Stop probing and remove the earth when a solid object is touched.

7.   Probe every two inches across a one-meter front.

8.   Move the probe forward two inches and probe across the one-meter front again.

9.   Continue this procedure until the minefield has been breached.

10.   Treat all mines as enemy mines.

L.      CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTI-PERSONNEL DEVICES:

1. Anti-personnel mines are used primarily to inflict casualties on foot troops.  They are usually used with anti-tank mines to prevent enemy troops from freely entering the area and removing the anti-tank mines.  Anti-personnel mines are also used to harass or delay the enemy and for security reasons.  Because of their explosive charges, anti-personnel mines are not effective against armored vehicles.

2.   These devises come in many shapes and sizes and, usually range from the small foot popper type that are about the size of a small soup can.  To the larger anti-armor types that are about the size of a small trash can lid but about, 8 to 10 inches thick.  They can be deployed in many different ways ranging from being hand laid, to being delivered by artillery and also by aircraft.

M.   MINES: 

N.    HAND GRENADES:

Definition:  A Hand grenade is an explosive device that is self-contained.  It contains a timed detonator, which is called a fuse.  The body of the grenade can be made of many different materials which usually range from plastic to steel.  The body of the grenade is filled with a filler.  The type of filler in the body will determine the type of grenade, i.e. Smoke, Riot, illumination, fragmentation, just to name a few.

Nomenclature and function:

TYPES OF GRENADES: 

1. Practice grenades

2. Fragmentation

3. Smoke

4. Riot control

5. Illumination

6. Incendiary

7. Offensive

8. Rifle grenades

Parts of the hand grenade:

1. The three main parts of a grenade are the body, the fuse, and the filler.

O.    CHARACTERISTICS OF FOUR TYPES OF GRENADES:

Before using any type of grenade that contains CS or CN, friendly forces should put on their protective masks and MOPP gear.

P.      SAFETY TIPS FOR THROWING GRENADES:

1.   Always remain calm.

2.   Always keep a firm grip.

3.   Never milk (squeeze and release over and over) the grenade.

4.   Always follow through when throwing a grenade.

Q.    TECHNICS FOR THROWING A GRENADE - RIGHT HANDED:

1. Grasp grenade with the right hand ensuring that the safety lever (or spoon) is in the web portion of the hand.  (This is where the thumb and the index finger meet).  Making sure that you maintain a firm grip on the grenade.

2.   Keeping the grenade in front of your body close to your chest, remove the safety clip with the left thumb.

3.   Insert the left index finger into the pull ring, rotating at the same time, pulling the pull ring with the safety pin out of the grenade.

4.   Extend the left arm in the direction in which you intend to throw the grenade.  Using the left arm as an aiming device bring the other hand with the grenade back to a cocked position and prepare to throw the grenade.

5.   Throw the grenade as if throwing a baseball with a follow through method and hit the deck , at the same time putting your hands under your body and your face into the deck.  This is all done in one motion.

R.     TECHNICS FOR THROWING A GRENADE - LEFT HANDED:

1. Left handed throwers must hold the grenade upside down in their throwing hand in order to remove the safety devices and properly throw the grenade.

2. Grasp grenade with the left hand ensuring that the safety lever (or spoon) is in the web portion of the hand.  (This is where the thumb and the index finger meet). Making sure that you maintain a firm grip on the grenade.

3. Keeping the grenade in front of your body close to your chest, remove the safety clip with the right thumb.

4. Insert the right index finger into the pull ring, rotating at the same time, pulling the pull ring with the safety pin out of the grenade.

5. Extend the right arm in the direction in which you intend to throw the grenade. Using the left arm as an aiming device bring the other hand with the grenade back to a cocked position (Bent at the elbow.), and prepare to throw the grenade.

6. Throw the grenade as if throwing a baseball with a follow through method and hit the deck, at the same time putting your hands under your body and your face into the deck.  This is all done in one motion.

REFERENCE

Guidebook for Marines, FMFM 6-5, Chapter 9

Grenades and Pyrotechnic Signals, FMFM 23-30

Field Medical Service School
Camp Pendleton, California

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Operational Medicine 2001
Health Care in Military Settings

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