German Soldier About to Lay Mines

German Obergefreiter (Corporal) leaving his position to lay land mines in the Eastern Front during Unternehmen Barbarossa (German invasion of Soviet Union). In his waist belt a hand grenade. This picture was taken by Artur Grimm in the summer of 1941. On the eastern front, mine warfare of massive proportions was used by both sides during defensive and offensive operations. A postwar German assessment of mine operations credited mine warfare with achieving some temporary tactical results but dismissed it as having no operational or strategic effect. "The effectiveness of German mines," General Major Alfred Toppe said, "was reduced by Soviet indifference to casualties and diligent countermine operations."

Source :
https://1997-2001.state.gov/global/arms/rpt_9401_demine_ch1.html
https://www.facebook.com/1219329084887059/posts/obergefreiter-mit-stielhandgranate-und-tellerminen/1414892765330689/
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/soviet-union-ukrainian-ssr-world-war-ii-german-soldier-news-photo/548130249?phrase=artur%20grimm

US Army Engineers Locating Land Mines

 

In Italy with US Army Engineers locating land mines, 1943. The conventional method of mine detection was developed in World War II and has changed little since then. It involves a metal detector, prodding instrument and tripwire feeler. Deminers clear an area of vegetation and then divide it into lanes. A deminer advances along a lane, swinging a metal detector close to the ground. When metal is detected, the deminer prods the object with a stick or stainless steel probe to determine whether it is a mine. If a mine is found, it must be deactivated. Although conventional demining is slow (5–150 square metres cleared per day), it is reliable, so it is still the most commonly used method. Integration with other methods such as explosive sniffing dogs can increase its reliability. Demining is a dangerous occupation. If a mine is prodded too hard or it is not detected, the deminer can suffer injury or death. The large number of false positives from metal detectors can make deminers tired and careless. According to one report, there is one such incident for every 1000–2000 mines cleared. 35 percent of the accidents occur during mine excavation and 24 percent result from missed mines.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demining
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Canadian Engineer Deactivated German Mine

Italy 1943. Canadian engineer sergeant of the 1st Infantry Division deactivating a German mine. In the divisional red patch it carries the letters R C E (Royal Corps Engineers). He wears a German pith helmet (tropenhelm or tropical helmet) of the type used by the Afrikakorps, to which he has added a Canadian engineers badge.

Source :
http://www.panzernet.com/foro4/showthread.php?11073-Uniformes-mezclados/page2