Posted on 11/25/2002 4:18:11 PM PST by ArcLight
According to the Military's official report of the Kabul bomb tragedy last January, which cost three Danish and two German soldiers their lives, soldiers working on two unexploded missiles indiscriminately used hammers, chisels and many other tools unfit for the job, and acted in a completely irresponsible manner. The report also states that it was only a malfunction in one of the missiles that prevented many more fatalities. Defence Chief Jesper Helsø said that the military is now planning to introduce new psychological screening methods when choosing minesweeping personnel in the future, because '…something obviously went wrong in the heads of normally well-trained and experienced soldiers.'
Just an occupational hazard. Like flying and sailing, working with ordnance is one of those activities where the penalty for stupidity is death.
It happened at Picatinny Arsenal in the early '60's. Primers on 155 rounds (and many others) are tightened in with a spanner wrench. They were electric/percussion primers/flashtube assemblies.
Someone didn't have the spanner for the two holes and tried a hammer and nail.
Well, ... the bombs are no longer armed.
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