Why Landmines will never go away

Why Land Mines Will Never Go Away

On December 3, 1997 the world attempted to rid itself of landmines. While this is a noble purpose I believe that the high ideals of this treaty, and the campaign to ban landmines, will succumb to the realities of the battlefield.
Since time immemorial the weaker opponent on the battlefield has tried to find ways to offset his weaknesses. From the sharpened stakes of the Romans, to the caltrops of the middle ages, to the land mines of the 21st Century, the weaker opponent has always attempted to make the terrain his ally, or at least dangerous to his enemy. The Romans planted sharpened stakes in front of their walls as anti-personnel devices. During the Middle Ages the Caltrop (4 wire shafts connected at the center) was distributed on ground that enemy knights and soldiers would charge across to disable the horses and men.
The Chinese had several types of land mines as early as the 13th Century. Ancient Chinese texts describe landmines filled with “blinding and burning gunpowder”, “magic gunpowder” and “poison gunpowder”. During WW I artillery shells were buried tip up to be detonated by passing tanks. During the Second World War mine development went from a battlefield “improvisation” to cutting edge technology. The anti-tank mine was further developed and the anti-personnel mine was developed to discourage removal of the anti-tank mines. As the war developed and counter-mine warfare became more effective mines evolved. With the introduction of the magnetic mine detector came the development of the non-metallic mine. With the War going badly for the Germans and material shortages becoming more severe, the Allies found anti-personnel mines made from wood. Not only were the mines brutally effective they rendered the magnetic mine detectors useless. During WWII the U.S. Army estimated that 2.5% of its personnel casualties and 20.7% of its tank loses were due to landmines. As technology advanced so did the land mine.

During the Korean conflict United Nations Forces found themselves unable to stop the “human wave” attacks of the Chinese Communist Forces. United Nations positions were literally being buried under a sea of humanity. In response to the urgent battlefield requirement the Claymore Mine was developed. The Claymore mine is a directional mine (the blast and shrapnel are focused in one direction) that was originally “command” detonated, in other words triggered by a soldier (as we shall see that didn’t last long). The Claymore mine as originally fielded contained 1 pound of C-4 explosive and ¼” ball bearings. The mine, when detonated, produced a wall of ball bearings 2 meters high, 30 meters wide at a distance of 30 meters.

During Vietnam the land mine began to serve an offensive purpose. The Viet Cong began to use mines, not only to kill American Soldiers and Marines, but to prevent civilians from going about their daily lives. The mines were used to isolate hamlets and villages and to reinforce the idea that the Viet Cong was the effective government in the area. In addition to the physical affects from the blast, U.S. Forces suffered the psychological affects of a weapon they couldn’t fight against. Unlike small arms or artillery there was no warning, a sharp blast, scream from the casualty, and deathly silence. U.S. Forces employed anti-personnel landmines in defensive belts around its major installations. In the field U.S. Forces used mines to protect their bivouac sites. Another use of the landmine was in ambushes. The U.S. developed a “push/pull” trigger device that could be attached to a Claymore mine. The device detonated the Claymore mine when the trip wire attached to the trigger was pulled (example an enemy soldier walking and catching the trip wire on his ankle) or “pushed” when the tension was released (if the trip wire was detected and cut by an enemy). Once the mine detonated that would be the signal for all other Soldier to engage the kill zone.
Landmines have always been the weapon of the militarily weaker force. 33 percent of U.S. casualties in Vietnam and 28 percent of deaths were officially attributed to mines.

The modern land mine can be described as the perfect sentry. Never needs sleep; never gets hungry; doesn’t need time off and does his job with brutal efficiency when activated. The computer age has not passed the landmine by. Computer chips now let the mine know if a specific target has passed or if a mine detector has been employed. Tactically they serve the same purpose as other barriers (barb wire or concrete anti-tank obstacles), slowing or channeling enemy forces onto ground of the defenders choosing. Additionally land mines can be described as a “force multiplier”. Landmines increase the efficacy or potency of a force without requiring additional personnel. Additionally mines are inexpensive, costing $3 to $30 per mine for anti-personnel mines. Once laid mines require no further support or expense.

As alluded to earlier landmines are now being used in an offensive weapon. In Colombia, Sri Lanka, Angola and other troubled countries of the world mines are being deployed to undermine the local government. Mines are now laid individually to disrupt civilian travel and commerce. Guerrilla forces are using anti-personnel mines, singly, to terrorize the civilian population and to isolate the population centers from other resources and services. In terrain where land communications is limited to a few unpaved roads or trails this is a brutally effective tactic. In addition the cheap cost of the mines and abundant supply make this a cost effective tactic.
While warfare will always be seen as a destructive wasteful event by the “civilized” world to those fighting it, war is the means to a better form of government or the only means left to fight a repressive government. Regardless of the political ideologue when violence is seen as the only solution to a political problem no weapon will seem “uncivilized” to the militarily weaker opponent. Landmines, in one form or another, will continue to be a fixture on the battlefield.