Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

The sea mine has shown that it is an effective weapon during numerous wars and conflicts over the course of history, including operations against the Japanese Empire during World War II and during the Korean War. Yet, despite its proven potency, the sea mine is often neglected or even forgotten. In order to better comprehend this phenomenon a better understanding of mine warfare is needed.

When studying previous research into naval mine warfare, an absence of theoretical perspectives can be identified. The purpose of this study is to contribute to this scientific gap by approaching mine warfare from a theoretical perspective.

Raoul Castex’ theories on strategic manoeuvre and offense versus defence, are used to develop an analytical instrument. Two cases are then analysed: the offensive mine laying campaign in Japan 1942-1945 and the defensive mine laying campaign in Korea 1950-1953. 

The results show that the theory of strategic manoeuvre has greater explanatory value for the offensive case, while the theory of offense versus defence has an equally high explanatory value for the two cases with their diverse actors.

In conclusion, the study demonstrates that a theoretical perspective enables greater scientific understanding of mine warfare and its internal factors.