UK: Royal Navy Explosive Experts Blow Up German World War II Bomb

Royal Navy explosive experts have on July 10 blown up a large German World War II bomb off Kent’s east coast.

The 500lb device – dropped by enemy aircraft – was brought to the surface by a dredger on Sunday near the entrance to the port of Dover.

It was taken three miles out to sea off Deal and a four-man bomb disposal team from Portsmouth – led by Petty Officer (Diver) Dave May – lowered the one-metre long bomb back to the seabed. They waited for the safest tidal window and carried out a controlled explosion at 8.45am today.

The local coastguard put a one-mile cordon in place during the operation, but no major shipping movements in the area were affected.

Lieutenant Dan Herridge, in overall charge of the bomb disposal team, said the explosion was carried out at a depth of 15 metres and caused a 50ft–high plume.

“We don’t come across this size of bomb that often. This one was in poor condition and we could not tell if the fuses were intact or not, so the safest option was to take it out away from the busy shipping lanes and dispose of it as soon as we could.”

[mappress]
Naval Today Staff, July 12, 2012; Image: Royal Navy