Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual TM 9-1375-202-10 for M173 Projected Charge Demolition Kit, December 1979
Item Overview
This U.S. Army operator’s manual covers the M173 Projected Charge Demolition Kit, NSN 1375-00-812-3972. Published on December 14, 1979, TM 9-1375-202-10 gave trained personnel the information needed to inspect, tow, prepare, operate, and care for the kit. This listing is for the technical manual only. It does not include an M173 kit, explosive charge, rocket, fuze, thruster, towing equipment, or vehicle.
Publication Details
This edition replaced the earlier TM 9-1375-202-10 dated September 22, 1966. The “-10” suffix identifies it as an operator-level publication rather than a higher-level repair manual.
- Manual number: TM 9-1375-202-10
- Publication date: December 14, 1979
- Official title: Operator’s Manual, Demolition Kit, Projected Charge M173
- Covered kit NSN: 1375-00-812-3972
- Covered kit DODIC: M443
- Manual level: Operator
- Issuing authority: Headquarters, Department of the Army
- Superseded edition: September 22, 1966
- Country of origin: United States
- Item included: Technical manual only
Manual Coverage
The manual explains the M173 system and its major components, safety rules, care, handling, receipt inspections, towing, accessory installation, preparation, firing, immediate-action checks, and operation under unusual conditions such as extreme cold. It also covers basic operator maintenance, shipment, storage information for the inert M174 training kit, emergency destruction guidance, reference material, and an abbreviated operator checklist. Maintenance responsibilities are limited to inspections, accessory attachment, operation, and other tasks approved for operating personnel.
About the M173 Demolition Kit
The M173 was an expendable Army engineer system made to clear a path through minefields containing single-impulse, pressure-type antitank mines. Its major parts included a waterproof M3 boat-shaped skid, an M95 rocket motor and launcher, an M96 linear demolition charge, an M1134 fuze, an M24 propellant-actuated thruster, towing equipment, and electrical firing accessories. The kit could be towed over suitable land or water by an approved land or amphibious vehicle equipped with a compatible 24-volt connection.
How the System Worked
The M173 was moved to the edge of a minefield and operated from a protected towing vehicle. During the firing cycle, the cover was removed, the launcher was raised, and the M95 rocket carried the M96 linear charge across the target area. After the charge settled, its blast was intended to open a lane through certain pressure-activated antitank mines. This manual documented the complete operator sequence, but the system was intended only for trained military personnel.
Historical Background
The M173 was developed during the Cold War as the Army sought faster ways to support armored forces moving through defended ground. An earlier operator’s manual was issued in 1966, while this revised 1979 edition reflected later equipment, safety, and operating information. Army ammunition references continued to document the M173 during the 1990s, showing the system’s long place in military engineer planning.
History of Use
The M173 supported combat-engineer training and minefield-breaching doctrine during the Cold War. Its towable design allowed engineers to use it with suitable tracked, wheeled, or amphibious vehicles without moving personnel directly across the suspected minefield. Later systems such as the M58A1 Mine Clearing Line Charge continued the same general idea with updated launchers and carriers. This manual is therefore an important record of the equipment generation that came before the modern MICLIC system.
Collector and Research Value
TM 9-1375-202-10 is a useful reference for studying Cold War combat engineering, minefield-breaching equipment, demolition systems, military logistics, and Army operator procedures. Its component descriptions and illustrations can also support museum research, historical displays, and restoration of demilitarized equipment.
Condition
This vintage military technical manual may show cover wear, edge wear, folds, yellowing, stains, writing, stamps, punched holes, loose pages, or other signs of age and storage. Printing details and condition may vary between available copies.
Ideal For
This manual is well suited for military-document collections, historical research, museum exhibits, and displays focused on combat-engineer equipment.
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- M173 demolition-kit research
- Cold War combat-engineer displays
- Mine-clearing equipment studies
- Military museum and archival collections
- Historical equipment restoration references
Approx length 8", Approx width 11", Approx height .2", Approx weight .35lbs.
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