The German Mine, T. Mi. 29, is a light antitank mine having a total weight of 13 1/4 pounds. It is 10 inches in diameter, 2 3/4 inches high, and contains a 10 pound charge of cast T.N.T. Outside, the mine is painted olive green; all internal surfaces are shellacked.
The zinc casing comprises two sections: the top, 3/64-inch thick, slides into the base which is 1/32-inch thick, and is secured by eight tabs which pass through slots in the base and are then bent over and soft soldered. Two steel carrying handles shaped to fit close to the case when folded are held by brass strips.
The top is slightly domed and has three adapters sweated into shallow recesses. The adapters have sockets to take the standard German igniters, ZDZ 29. There are three additional sockets provided for fitting anti-lifting igniters: two are in the side of the casing, diametrically opposite one another and four inches to the right of the center of each handle; the other is in the center of the base. In addition to being sweated into the casing, each socket is secured by two brass pins which fit into slots on either side of the hole in the mine casing.
The ZDZ 29 can function as either a push or pull igniter. When it is used as a pressure igniter, there is a choice of two settings allowing the mine to fire under medium or heavy loads. The operation depends respectively on the shear of one or two pins acting as detents to a spring-loaded striker pellet. When in use as a pull igniter, the operation depends upon the withdrawal of one detent pin from the spring-loaded striker pellet.
The igniter is held in a “safe” position by the insertion of a safety key into a slot in the main body. The key slides under the striker pellet, preventing the striker from moving until the key is withdrawn.
German: p. 304.1