How wartime minesweeping gear cleared a channel

How did minesweepers actually clear or detonate mines?

They towed paravanes and other sweeping gear to snag or channel mines, then detonated mines that did not explode during the sweep.

Wartime minesweeping relied on towing gear behind or beside a shallow-draft ship to clear a strip of water. Paravanes and related sweeps could catch moorings, funnel mines toward the gear, or expose them for destruction. Outboard arrangements widened the path beyond the sweeper's own hull. The method worked in both world wars, but it put the ship and crew close to the weapons they were trying to neutralize. Modern mine countermeasures differ substantially from this hazardous mechanical work.