- Cartridge Trap
A
booby trap devised by theViet Cong and subsequently used against American and otheranti-Communist forces supportingSouth Vietnam during theVietnam War . It derives its name from the fact that the wounding component of the trap is a small arms cartridges.Design
It is a very simple trap, made from four main components: a bamboo pipe, a piece of wood, a nail and any ammunition from
small arms . The device required a ammunition to be stood upright and when a person (usually asoldier ) stepped on the trap, the pressure placed on the bullet would force it down onto a nail, igniting the primer and subsequently causing the round to fire. ["Anti-personnel mines & booby traps used by the VC & NVA." Digger History. 4 Jun 2008 (http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-weapons/mines05.htm#anti-p)]Purpose
The intent of the trap was to cause the round to travel through an enemy soldier's foot, causing him and probably his entire section to cease their actions in order to treat him. This would often create an opportunity for a Vietcong (or other
North Vietnamese force) to engage the stationary section in anambush .ee also
*
Punji stick
*NLF and PAVN battle tactics
*Combat Engineers References
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