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Shitotsubakurai
Shitotsubakurai (Japanese: 刺突爆雷), commonly referred to as a lunge mine, is a Japanese armor-piercing handheld mine used by the troops of the Imperial Japanese Army in close quarters combat. It is a suicide weapon, intended to be used in a charge against enemy armored vehicles by a soldier. The mine is a shaped charge within a conical metal body attached to the end of a wooden stick. Three metal protrusions on the front of the charge were used to ensure proper stand-off distance for maximum effectiveness against armor. The operator would run toward an enemy vehicle and press the charge against the armor, causing the handle to be pushed forward and setting off the detonator. The explosion would kill the user as a result, taking the enemy armor with them, if used correctly. US assessments of the weapon and its use stated that while it could certainly severely damage or destroy armored vehicles if used correctly, its users would likely be killed before they could make contact with their target. Like the other suicide weapons and tactics employed by the Japanese during the Second World War, the psychological impact of such a weapon could be just as potent as its physical damage.
The Imperial Japanese Army is first recorded using the Shitotsubakurai in the later stages of the war in the Pacific, used in tandem with other desperate suicide tactics like the kamikaze. Its first recorded use was in 1944, during the Battle of Leyte. The Shitotsubakurai was also used by the Việt Minh during the First Indochina War.
Specifications
(1944 - 1948)
- Type: Suicidal anti-tank mine
- Mass 14.3 lb (6.5 kg) (overall)
- Length 78 in (200 cm) (overall)
- Height 11.6 in (29 cm) (body)
- Diameter 8 in (20 cm) (body)
- Filling TNT
- Filling weight 6.6 lb (3.0 kg)
- Detonation mechanism Blasting cap
The Shitotsubakurai and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Video Games
| Game Title | Referred as | Mods | Note | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medal of Honor: Rising Sun | 2003 | |||
| 7554 | 2011 | |||
| Battlefield V | 2018 | |||
| Enlisted | 2021 |