Theres a reason for the qualifier on that kudo, and more about that in a moment.
However, the M18A1 Claymore is a truly directional mine.
This means the user can aim the blast as desired.
The Claymore has proven to be a truly influential weapon for both defensive and ambush applications.Troops of the Royal Australian Regimentare shown here checking the sightings on a Claymore mine in Vietnam. Image: Australian War Memorial
A claymore mine is typically command-detonated via wire crimped to an M4 electrical blasting cap.
One of the most appealing features of the Claymore is its flexibility.
It can also be daisy-chained or attached to other mines for sympathetic detonation to cover a wider area.
Pfc. D. H. Lamourax teaches militiamen of the South Vietnamese Popular Force how to use a Claymore mine. Image: U.S.M.C.
Employment of the Claymore is really only limited by the soldiers devious ingenuity.
That arc runs from two meters high to 50 meters wide.
Then unspool the wire as you return to the firing position.
A U.S. Navy SEAL Team member takes cover when detonating an M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine during tactical warfare training at NAB Coronado. Image: JO1 Lynn Jenkins/U.S. Navy
They most certainly did as casualties fromhigh-explosive mines and boobytrapscan attest.
The VC/NVA did employ their own version of a Claymore.
Conclusion
Few anti-personal mines have proved as successful in combat as the Claymore jot down.
Pvt. W. Lugg and LCpl. L. Wakeham of The Royal Australian Regiment instruct members of the South Vietnamese Popular Force on the workings of a Claymore mine. Image: Australian War Memorial
Practically every nation with a standing military force has one or has access to something like it through allies.
And our own R&D components have continued to update and improve the M18A1.
Sidebar: Original M18 Claymore
The Claymore mines roots trace back to World War II.
Additionally, the country looked at using the technology against infantry as a tench mine.
It was thought that a directional mine with a fan-shaped pattern might be able to disrupt human wave attacks.
The range was relatively short maybe 30 meters on the outside and it was too large to be man-portable.
Members of Company A, 15th Engineer Battalion, check the damage caused by a Claymore mine on standing targets within a 50-meter distance of the explosion. Image: SSgt. Sandi Pellicano/NARA
In the U.S., Norman MacLeod developed the T-48 mine for the Picatinny Arsenal.
The T-48 was a directional mine that used cube-shaped steel projectiles like the Phoenix.
Also like the Phoenix, it had a limited range: less than 30 meters.
LCpl. M. Spann sets up an M18A1 Claymore mine at the entrance to the combat operations center for the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines during Operation Desert Shield. Image: Cpl. D. Haynes/U.S.M.C.
However, it had a huge advantage over the Canadian mine: it was infantry-portable.
Unlike the M18A1, the first Claymore mines used a battery to trigger the detonator.
The Picatinny Arsenal issued a request for proposal in 1954 for an improvement to the original M18.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Joseph Hisatake prepares an M18 Claymore mine for detonation during training. Image: LCpl. Brendan Mullin/U.S.M.C.
As a result, several design changes were tested and adopted.
One of the most significant was that the projectiles changed from a cube shape to a spherical one.
Initially, the new projectiles were 7/32 ball bearings made of hardened alloy steel.
During a training exercise, Airman 1st Class Howard checks the alignment of his M18A1 Claymore mine during training at Camp Blanding, Fla. Image: Senior Airman F. R. Newton/U.S.A.F.
Engineers opted for smaller 1/8 steel balls that were relatively softer.
The result was a more efficient and deadly directional anti-personnel mine with an effective range up to 100 meters.
With small changes, this new variant was standardized as the M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine.
This Viet Cong directional anti-personnel mine used 1/4″ square pieces of metal embedded in a wax-like substance and fired by a standard pull friction firing device. Image: U.S.M.C./CC BY 2.0
The Chinese Type 66 anti-personnel mine is a clear copy of the U.S. weapon system. Image: Max Smith/Public Domain
While “Front Toward Enemy” is the well-known warning on a Claymore, the lesser-known “Explosive Is Poisonous If Eaten” also seems important. Image: Cpl. Brendan Mullin/U.S.M.C.
This drawing was part of the U.S. Army’s request for an upgraded M18 Claymore mine. Image: U.S. Army
Pvt. B. Wruck of the ANZAC Battalion sets up a Claymore mine in the Republic of Vietnam during March 1971. Image: P. Errington/Australian War Memorial
Three M18A1 Claymore directional fragmentation mines set up in front of defensive positions at Australian Fire Support Base Pat, Republic of Vietnam. Image: Australian War Museum
U.S. Army reservists train with the M18A1 Claymore at Fort Devens, Mass. in 1983. Image: Chris Leinenwever/NARA
Pfc. Bryan Cotton sets up an M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine on a demolition range in the Camp Fuji Maneuvering Area, Japan to test its effectiveness. Image: LCpl. Adaecus G. Brooks/U.S.M.C.
