SEA MINES

NUTLEY BOY

In WW2 were the Germans or the British required to notify each other after they had laid sea mines in each others or their own waters ?

I am starting to read about the war at sea (WW2), by Roskill, and got the impression that there might have been such an obligation.

Mankyspuds

I doubt they informed each other, defeats the purpose of the mining. But, saying that the Germans/Japanese might have said it to local fishermen in occupied areas of the rough whereabouts and to stay away. They in turn passed it on to allied ships and planes or to local resistance movements. More likely though, whereabouts of minefields where found out in 1 of a couple of ways. You hit one. You see one. Or a ship/sub doesn't report back and you take their last position as possible minefield.

On a side, are there any of these things still knocking around in European waters at anchor? If so, would they be still viable after all these years?

NUTLEY BOY

Mankyspuds wrote: »

I doubt they informed each other, defeats the purpose of the mining. But, saying that the Germans/Japanese might have said it to local fishermen in occupied areas of the rough whereabouts and to stay away. They in turn passed it on to allied ships and planes or to local resistance movements. More likely though, whereabouts of minefields where found out in 1 of a couple of ways. You hit one. You see one. Or a ship/sub doesn't report back and you take their last position as possible minefield.

On a side, are there any of these things still knocking around in European waters at anchor? If so, would they be still viable after all these years?

I remember talking to a few guys about 10 years ago alongside in Dublin. They were from the Belgian navy. Apparently, it was not that unusual to get calls to clear WW2 vintage mines around their North Sea coast. It seems likewise for the Germans and the Dutch.

They seem to approach the mines on the basis that they are viable. They go in to mine clearance mode which included switching off mobile phones and any other electronic gear not in use until the mine had been dealt with by an explosive charge. I presume that this is an extra precaution in case it is a magnetic influence type mine.

On that basis the professionals seem to view these mines as viable. I suppose it is the precautionary principle. Mind you, if a mine is viable it seems to make one hell of an explosion if it detonates!

Stovepipe

I read an account of one minelaying U-boat's operations in WW1 in the Irish Sea and they accurately plotted every one of the thirty odd that they laid, both for their own safety and to not have to return to lay fresh mines. When they got home, the plan of the new minefields was added to the master minefield chart and copied to all naval HQs and U-boats. The Allies laid belts of mines to keep the North and South channels closed but this was not overly effective. The downside for the Germans was that if the minelayer was sunk before it got home, then it's mines' were not known to their colleagues who risked running into them. Also, when mines broke away from their moorings, they risked both sides equally....my grandfather had to blow up a few that came ashore in WW2.

regards
Stovepipe

The Chieftain

There is an obligation to declare minefields, but I don't believe it has to be very specific. In any case, declaring a minefield:
- Acted as a deterrent to the enemy, who was not to know just how many mines were actually in any given minefield - if any! - or its exact location.
- Aided neutral and allied ships to avoid the minefields.
So, both sides had in interest in declaring minefields.

I remember that there were mine casings in the mud in Wexford Harbor for many years in the 60s and 70s, and occasionally elsewhere.