Imperial Japanese Naval Mines
![]() Japanese Type 93 Naval Mine on beach in Washington (courtesy Don McArthur) |
![]() Type 93 Mine on display North Lincoln County Historical Museum Lincoln City, Oregon |
Prior to World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy did not spend much energy on mines. Mines were considered to be an defensive weapon; Japanese Navy doctrine was almost exclusively offensive. Almost all Japanese mines were of Hertz Horn construction – note the horns on the mne above.

Type 93 Detonator Wiring Harness
The Type 93 Model 1 weighed 1,543 pounds (700 kilograms) with 220 pounds of Type 88 high explosive.

Type 93 Mine Detonator
The mine that washed ashore south of Port Orford was disarmed by U.S. Navy explosive ordnance disposal personnel. The detonator and wirng harness were salvaged; the remainder of the mine was destroyed by a controlled detonation. The detonator and harness are on display in the museum.
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The Point Orford Heritage Society expresses its appreciation to Tim Flake for providing the mine artifacts and to Don McArthur for technical descriptions.