Land Mines (Landminen)

Long before World War I, the term Mine Warfare was well known. The term was used to denote tunnels, advanced towards enemy positions and usually filled with large amounts of explosives which, when initiated, were to bury enemy positions or destroy them, in order to make possible the breakthrough of friendly forces. Also covered by this term was combat against ships with naval mines. While this article is entitled land mines, its discussion is limited to antitank mines and mines used against other ground vehicles, as well as mines used against live targets on the ground. Both types of mines had their origin as a result of the conditions prevailing during World War I.