▁and ▁accur ately ▁recording ▁the ▁locations ▁of ▁mine fields . ▁ ▁However , ▁inc idents ▁involving ▁accident al ▁explos ions ▁of ▁mines ▁in ▁North ▁Africa , ▁the ▁former ▁Wars aw ▁P act ▁countries , ▁France , ▁and ▁Germany ▁still ▁occur ▁sp or ad ically . ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁have ▁a ▁particularly ▁large ▁amount ▁of ▁uncle ared ▁World ▁War ▁II - era ▁mine fields , ▁lost ▁in ▁the ▁desert ▁s ands ▁or ▁forgotten ▁by ▁authorities . ▁In ▁Lib ya , ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁estimates ▁that ▁over ▁ 2 7 % ▁of ▁far ml and ▁is ▁unus able ▁due ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁mine fields . ▁While ▁German ▁documentation ▁says ▁the ▁S - mine ▁had ▁an ▁effective ▁lif es pan ▁of ▁two ▁to ▁seven ▁years ▁once ▁plant ed , ▁the ▁explos ive ▁charge ▁could ▁still ▁operate ▁in ▁mines ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁ ▁The ▁German ▁S - mine ▁was ▁a ▁steel ▁cyl inder ▁approximately ▁ ▁tall ▁without ▁its ▁sensor ▁and ▁around ▁ ▁in ▁diameter . ▁ ▁A ▁steel ▁rod ▁pro tr ud ing ▁from ▁the ▁mine ' s ▁top ▁held ▁the ▁main ▁f use , ▁where ▁its ▁trigger ▁or ▁sensor ▁was ▁attached . ▁The ▁SM i - 3 5 ▁had ▁a ▁central ▁f use , ▁while ▁the ▁SM i - 4 4 ▁had ▁an ▁offset ▁f use . ▁It ▁we ighed ▁approximately ▁, ▁with ▁the ▁weight ▁depending ▁on ▁whether ▁it ▁was ▁loaded ▁with ▁the ▁l ighter ▁pow der ed ▁or ▁the ▁heav ier ▁pou red ▁T NT