British Navy divers detonate German World War II bomb retrieved from 17th century shi
 

British Navy divers detonate German World War II bomb retrieved from 17th century shipwreck
By: Robert Gearty - Fox News - 9-29-29
RE: https://www.foxnews.com/world/britis...tury-shipwreck

British Royal Navy divers detonated at sea a huge 1-ton bomb Germany dropped on England during World War II.

The detonation took place Friday off Essex at the end of a delicate six-day mission, officials said.

The German parachute ground mine was one of the biggest bombs used by the Luftwaffe during the war, the BBC reported.

“The mine, most likely dropped to target one of the numerous docks in the Thames Estuary, was in extremely good condition given its age," Lt. Ben Brown said in a news release.

Civilian divers exploring the “London,” a 17th century shipwreck, found the bomb and alerted the Royal Navy. The London sank in 1665, the BBC reported.

"The complexity of this task should not be underestimated,” Brown said in a news release. “Dealing with one of the largest pieces of German Second World War ordnance in the Thames Estuary presents some of the most challenging diving conditions there are to work in.”

He added, "With nil visibility under water and significant tidal flow, the diving windows are extremely limited and all work on the ordnance must be done by touch.”

The mine was packed with the equivalent of 1,600 pounds of TNT, the Royal Navy said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personal note: I've always wondered how long those mines lasted and just how many more are out there still to be found. I bet those divers that found it by that old ship wreck just about swallowed a little salt water when they first found it. Now they can investigate what's left of the 17th century wreck if it still exist after the bomb went off.

Boats