Historical information
These mines were tethered to the sea bed and were detonated when a ship came into contact with the "Horns" that protruded from the mines exterior surface (removed in this example although the fixing points are clearly visible.)
The mines were usually laid by ships or submarines in "Fields" across harbour entrances or in busy shipping lanes. They were tethered so that they floated several feet below the water.
This type of mine carried enough exlposive to sink even the largest of ships.
Floating mines typically have a mass of around 200 kg,including 80 kg of explosives e.g. TNT, Minol or Amatol.
