Royal Navy Explosive Experts Blow Up Rare 400lb German Mine

Royal Navy explosive experts have successfully blown up a rare 400lb German mine off the north Kent coast.

A four-man team from Southern Diving Unit 2 detonated a GX buoyant mine – measuring three feet in diameter – which was caught in a fishing vessel’s nets about a mile off Margate.

The quartet – led by Petty Officer (Diver) Ken Smith –  were ferried to the vessel in a police launch, attached a charge to the second world war device and carefully lowered it about ten metres to the sea bed.

A 1,000-metre cordon was put in place by the Coastguard while a controlled explosion was carried out, causing a 25-metre plume.

Lieutenant Dan Herridge, head of Portsmouth-based SDU2, said:

“We don’t often find these type of buoyant mines – they are quite unusual.”

“But it was in good condition so this was quite a delicate operation to make sure everything went smoothly.”

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Source: royalnavy, October 17, 2011