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A brief overwiew of the invention and development of naval mine during the Ming Dynasty

Added 2019-01-23 17:39:59 +0000 UTC

This article is actually the continuation of my blog post about Ming naval mines as I feel my previous article does not do the topic justice. While it's pretty well-known that Chinese invented both naval mines, the history of the development of naval mines is little understood and rarely discussed.

This article seeks to remedy that (somewhat) by laying out a general timeline of the development of early naval mines during the Ming period. It should be noted that the first recorded dates of these weapons should not be equated with their respective dates of invention, as these weapons tend to be already in use for quite some time before showing up in written records.

Shui Di Lei (水底雷, lit. 'Underwater thunder')

First recorded: 1558 AD

Possibly the earliest predecessor of naval mine, Shui Di Lei is actually less an explosive device and more of an underwater cannon, as it is simply a Da Jiang Jun Pao (大將軍砲) placed inside a waterproofed wooden box and then moored to the bottom of the river through three anchors connected to the box. Specially-prepared embers are placed inside the wooden box together with the cannon, separated from the touch hole by a piece of iron plate connected to a rope. With a pull of the rope, the iron plate is removed, allowing the embers to ignite the charge and fire the cannon.

Due to its weight and cost, Shui Di Lei was mostly used to booby trap ports and harbours to prevent enemy ships (particularly Wokou ships) from docking.

Shui Di Long Wang Pao (水底龍王砲)

First recorded: 1590 AD

The first drifting timed mine in the world, Shui Di Long Wang Pao uses an incense fuse to ignite its payload.

For more information, visit my Great Ming Military blog.

Shui Di Ming Lei (水底鳴雷, lit. 'Underwater roaring thunder')

First recorded: 1599 AD

Recorded by famous Ming commander Wang Ming He (王鳴鶴), Shui Di Ming Lei is the first moored contact mine in the world. Unlike its predecessors, Shui Di Ming Lei uses a sealed ceramic pot to carry its payload (an iron casing bomb), which is both cheaper and more reliable than wooden box and cow bladder of its predecessors. It also utilises tripwire connected to Gang Lun Fa Huo (鋼輪發火) to detonate its payload and does not require constant monitoring.

Hai Pao (海砲, lit. 'Sea bomb')

First recorded: 1621 AD

Hai Pao is essentially the drifting mine version of Shui Di Ming Lei, making it the first drifting contact mine in the world, although it only predates Cornelius Drebbel's "floating petard" by seven years.

Ji Ji Lei (既濟雷, lit. 'Already fording thunder')

First recorded: 1621 AD

Ji Ji Lei can be considered the first limpet mine in the world, although it too is less an explosive device and more of an underwater cannon. Ji Ji Lei is essentially a one-use cast iron cannon put inside a watertight bag made of dog skin. Unlike modern limpet mine that utilises powerful magnets to attach itself onto the metal hull of an enemy ship, Ji Ji Lei has to be manually nailed to the wooden hull of its intended target.