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PARACHUTE MINES

​During World War Two the Luftwaffe developed a range of Parachute Mines, or Landmines as they were called by the Civil Defence. These were in actual fact Sea mines, but it was quickly discovered by the Germans that these weapons could also be just as effective on land-based targets as a conventional "blast" bomb.
There were two sizes of Magnetic Parachute Mines, the Luftmine A (abbreviated LMA) at 500kg which was 5ft 8in long and the Luftmine B (LMB) which was 1000kg & 8ft 8in long. These magnetic mines were constructed of aluminium, with a domed parachute housing which jettiosoned in the air to deploy a large green or red parachute. They were fitted with the Type (34)B fuze, & were detonated either by impact or by a disruption to the magnetic device contained inside, bomb disposal had to use a variety of bronze anti-magnetic tools to deal with UXB Landmines.
​Later in the war larger types of mines were used against built up targets, such as the steel cased SB 1000kg parachute bomb. It was designed to explode just above the ground causing maximum devastating damage to buildings, caused by the blast effect of the mine.
​The SB 1000kg contained just a single fuze pocket normally with the type (55) fuze  which had a long wire, to a nose switch on the front of the bomb.