Tallboy (bomb)
Posted on 10/13/2020 11:33:05 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
The biggest World War Two bomb ever found in Poland exploded under water on Tuesday as navy divers tried to defuse it.
More than 750 people had been evacuated from the area near the Piast Canal outside the town of Swinoujscie where the Tallboy bomb used by Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) was found. It weighed nearly 5,400 kg, including 2,400 kg of explosive.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I thought I read that there were two giant ones that hadn’t been found. I know that every year an unlucky French farmer or two ‘discovers’ an artillery shell when he’s plowing his fields. I know there are some areas that are still no-go zones.
By “huge mines”, are you talking about where they would tunnel under the enemy’s position, and fill the tunnel with explosives?
Yeah - that would be a surprise for the home developer.
You’d have to wonder about all those metal detector people clunking around on unexploded ordinance when they dig those things up.
Ahhhhhh! Made my day!!!!
I like big loud things as long as I don’t have to be too close to them against my will...:)
Swinoujscie, was then known as Swinemünde, before the war. It only became a part of Poland after the war.
The bunker busters we build today owe their lineage to Wallis’ bombs.
I’ve seen it.
WW2 ordnance is found from time to time. The most bizarre instance that I know of was the sinking of the fishing trawler Snoopy in 1964 when it dredged up an old German torpedo while fishing off the coast of North Carolina. The torpedo exploded when it was brought to the surface killing 8 fisherman and sinking the ship. The last casualties of WW2 that I’m aware of.
There have been some really cool things in robotics over the last decade to make explosive disposal less risky for flesh & blood people. This thing being blown up by a robot being operated remotely without anyone getting hurt is a good example.
Used against the Tirpitz.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz#Operation_Catechism
Polish Navy sappers were trying to neutralise it underwater through burning out its explosives, but it went off in the process.
“My aunt’s TR6 was a prime example.”
My Aunt had one and she had three kids.
Correct, yes.
“By “huge mines”, are you talking about where they would tunnel under the enemy’s position, and fill the tunnel with explosives?”
That isn’t the issue, from what I’ve heard - the issue is that they think any attempt to defuse the explosives could set them off.
I often watch “Mudlarking” videos on the Thames River. Several times they have had to call demolition teams to detonate munitions found.
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