Re: APL in the K.W.

[<DGill11331@aol.com>]

In a message dated 1/25/2002 9:29:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, Jhk789@aol.com writes:
> What kind of antipersonnel landmines 
> were used by both sides during the K.W.? 
> To what extent were they used effectively? 
> Did anyone have any experience in using them 
> or witnessing the use? 
> John2 


I had several experiences with Russian made North Korean land mines. Please remember this is from a 52 year memory and my memory may not be perfect. The one and only foreign land mine I was familiar with was a Russian made blue wooden box about a foot square, and about as thick, with what appeared to be a raised trapdoor (3 inch square triggering devise) on top of it. I saw a couple of jeeps mangled by them and a couple of tanks that had their tracks blown off. It seems to me that these mines were not anti-personal because I saw many men on several occassions, including me, walk (unintentionally) on them without them going off.  I know I walked on them because a buddy would often show you your foot print in the loose dirt that covered them. If you were paying attention they were easily detected in the roads because the loose dirt that covered them sharply contrasted with the hard packed dirt roadbed (the vast majority of the roads were dirt). While crossing (under fire) a large vehicle bridge over Kalchon Creek into Yongdungp'o, I became a victim of a boobie-trap that caused me to fall about 15 feet from the blown-out end of the bridge with one of those wooden mines falling with me. The mine and me hit the river bank at the same time, again the mine did not go off. The only American mine I remember was a thin flat disk-shaped metal mine that I saw many times but had no experience with. I did have a little experience with trip-grenades and trip-flares. D Gill