YaM-5 box mine

Wood was chosen as primary material for its availability, cheapness and ease of handling; for example, in 1942, several thousand cases were produced at Tuymen Plywood Factory by patriotic young volunteers as an after-school activity. Various types of wood were used. The mine consists of a rectangular wooden box with a hinged lid that overlaps the front of the mine. A slot in the hinged lid's side through which an MUV pull fuse is placed. A wooden pressure bar is sometimes used on the edge of the lid above the slot. A nail is placed horizontally through the loop of the MUV fuse's striker retaining pin and two loops on the bottom of the lid's slot. A YaM-10 was also produced; it was a scaled-up version of the YaM-5. The wooden case was normally painted olive green, gray or white. The mine was frequently used with anti-handling devices. Downward pressure on the lid forced the nail downwards; withdrawing the striker retaining pin detonated the mine.

• || YaM-5 || YaM-5K || YaM-5M || YaM-5U || YaM-10 • Length — 19.5 inches — 23.6 inches — 19.5 inches — 19.75 inches • Width — 7.75 inches — 6.9 inches — 7.6 inches — 7.6 inches • Height — 3.5 inches — 6.4 inches — 6.4 inches — 6.4 inches • Weight — 14 lb — 16 lb — 16 lb — 14 lb — 22 to 27 lb • Explosive content — 11 lb — 16 to 22 lb • Operating pressure — 300 lb • Notes — No pressure block on lid — Long pressure block — Short pressure block — Long pressure block — Larger version of the mine