How a snagline sea mine works

What is a snagline mine?

It is a sea-mine arrangement in which a ship catches a line between buoys and pulls the attached mines toward its sides.

A snagline mine uses a line between buoys to bring the explosive charge against a passing ship. As the vessel catches and pulls the line taut, the arrangement draws the mines inward. Mines at both ends can be pulled toward opposite sides of the hull. The fishing-line comparison explains how the connected arrangement catches a passing vessel.