The M-18 claymore mine is popular with infantrymen. This remote-controlled device uses 1.5lbs of explosives to fire 700 steel pellets to kill anything within 50 meters to its front. Artillery support is also popular, but requires significant coordination and is not always available. These two concepts can be combined with Manual Detonation (ManDet) fuses to allow ground forces to remotely fire artillery shells just like claymores.
Pallets of artillery munitions are common on the battlefield, often left behind by
advancing or retreating units. Infantrymen setting up defensive
positions would love to set artillery rounds in front of their positions.
They could screw in a ManDet fuse to an artillery round and attach an electric firing wire back to
their foxhole. During an enemy attack, they could explode the round
manually at the perfect moment with a handheld detonator.
Imagine hiding dozens of 155mm munitions primed with ManDet fuses for an ambush. The surprise destructive power would eliminate anyone standing, and properly placed rounds could even blow tanks sky high. ManDet fuses would provide infantrymen with a simple method to employ heavy firepower. Even artillerymen would quickly learn the value placing ManDet fused rounds in their defensive perimeter.
ManDets could also provide basic explosives support. Ideally, engineers are always nearby with ample explosives to destroy bridges, tunnels, caves or doors. However, this is rarely the case, especially since supply units hate to keep explosives on hand. The employment of ManDets is much less complex, and infantrymen will frequently draw rounds from artillery stocks to employ themselves.
Mandet fuses would be ideal for
disposing of captured enemy ammunition, or using them in defensive positions.
However, ammunition comes in several different sizes, and supplying the correct
sizes of ManDet fuses may cause problems. The solution is for each ManDet fuse
kit to include several plastic adapters
so it can be screwed into many different types of ammunition. The kit may
also include the couple hundred feet of wire needed to fire the fuse.
ManDet fuse kits are an extremely low-tech tool which can greatly increase the defensive power in infantrymen. They provide an easy way of disposing of ammunition during a retreat, or commando attack. However, their biggest value would be in regular defensive positions. Infantrymen would become less dependent on artillerymen to deliver accurate fires when needed once grunts could fire their own artillery rounds.
Carlton Meyer editorG2mil@Gmail.com