Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:46:26-1:47:29

How naval mines changed between the world wars

World War I fleets relied on broadly similar contact mines, while World War II introduced magnetic, acoustic, and other influence triggers.

KriegsmarineNaval Mine WarfareNaval MinesRoyal NavyWorld War IWorld War II
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Question

How different were Royal Navy and German naval mines during the two world wars?

Short answer

Their First World War contact mines were broadly similar, but Second World War mine warfare expanded into magnetic, acoustic, and influence weapons.

Notes

British and German First World War mines are judged broadly similar in their basic design. The familiar contact mine could be spherical or barrel-shaped, with projecting Hertz horns. Second World War mine warfare included magnetic, acoustic, and other influence types. Those developments widened the means by which a mine could detect a passing ship.