In a message dated 10/20/03 10:10:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
thermopyle@tds.net writes:

  "And again, and again, and again," I mumbled weakly, staring at

the

'THIS SIDE TOWARD ENEMY - DO NOT EAT' note stamped on the bomb

I must admit, I've never seen a Skuld bomb up close (and never hope

to,

their Father willing), but is she really so absentminded as to need

a

warning not to eat her own bombs if she's hungry and finds 'em lying

around?

Granted, it's a very funny bit...

If you watch war movies, there's at least one that shows mines with
that message printed on the back.  My dad told me they are like that
in real life.  He may have been lying, but I'm sure this is a
reference to that in movies/reality.

Some mines are called directional mines, they use an explosive charge to 
propel shrapnel in one direction like a giant shotgun.  The US M18 Claymore is an 
example of this type of antipersonnel mine.  It should be noted that the 
explosive charge itself has a lethal zone of 1-3 meters around the mine.  So don't 
stand directly behind one when it goes off.

The M18 does indeed has a "this side towards the enemy" warning to help 
soldiers in the confusion of a combat situation correctly emplace the mine.  You 
will note in the linked picture that the letters are raised presumably for 
identification at night.
 <A HREF="http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/images/landcamp/mine5.gif">http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/images/landcamp/mine5.gif</A>  (Ain't google 
cool?)

I would assume that other countries mines have a similar warning.

Later

Outlaw 1



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