The History of Landmines

Landmines have been much in the news in recent months, but few today know much about them. Mike Croll describes the history of these weapons, which some specialists trace back to the 5th century BC, from their earliest use to the present day.

Electrically triggered mines of surprising sophistication were used by Confederates defending Charleston and Wilmington in the American Civil War, but the mine first became an important factor during World War I. The No-Man's-Land of 1914-1918 became heavily sown with mines in some areas, with the Germans even firing mines into the mud with mortars.

Mines were used throughout World War II, but nowhere more dramatically than in North Africa, where the battle of El Alamein saw the first use of electronic mine detectors.

The author has drawn heavily on the expertise of Britain's Royal Engineers and Royal Army Ordinance Corps, who have defused every conceivable type of mine and booby trap from the streets of Northern Ireland to the deserts of Kuwait and Iraq. Croll describes the current state of mine warfare, recent international attempts to curb their use, and how they are most likely to be used in the future.