Editing Naval mine (section)

==== Drifting contact mines ====
Drifting mines were occasionally used during World War I and World War II. However, they were more feared than effective. Sometimes floating mines break from their moorings and become drifting mines; modern mines are designed to deactivate in this event. After several years at sea, the deactivation mechanism might not function as intended and the mines may remain live. [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|Admiral Jellicoe]]'s British fleet did not pursue and destroy the outnumbered German High Seas Fleet when it turned away at the [[Battle of Jutland]] because he thought they were leading him into a trap: he believed it possible that the Germans were either leaving floating mines in their wake, or were drawing him towards submarines, although neither of these was the case.

After World War I the drifting contact mine was banned, but was occasionally used during World War II. The drifting mines were much harder to remove than tethered mines after the war, and they caused about the same damage to both sides.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.strausscenter.org/hormuz/mines.html|title=Mines – Hormuz|access-date=26 October 2015|archive-date=30 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730230012/https://www.strausscenter.org/hormuz/mines.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Churchill promoted "[[Operation Royal Marine]]" in 1940 and again in 1944 where floating mines were put into the [[Rhine]] in France to float down the river, becoming active after a time calculated to be long enough to reach German territory.