WW2 Bomb found in Rhine

[LukeSi]

Something I just spotted on the beeb.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16018659
"Officials in the western German city of Koblenz are evacuating about 45,000 people as work begins to defuse a World War II bomb found in the River Rhine."


It doesn't look that big

[Zaxxon]

Until your trying to defuse it, then I bet it must seem plenty big enough. As I'm sure V8mate would be able to tell you.

[LukeSi]

Zaxxon said:

Until your trying to defuse it, then I bet it must seem plenty big enough. As I'm sure V8mate would be able to tell you.

I know, but still surely evacuating 45,000 people for a bomb that size is a bit over the top.

[Jim the Sunderer]

They melted our school gates down for that?

[NismoGT]

LukeSi said:

I know, but still surely evacuating 45,000 people for a bomb that size is a bit over the top.

Don't judge it on size.

This might happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwlNPhn64TA

[jmorgan]

Is that what was called a cookie?

[Taffer]

Zaxxon said:

Until your trying to defuse it, then I bet it must seem plenty big enough. As I'm sure V8mate would be able to tell you.

I think BruceV8 is the man you need for red wire/blue wire/comedy improv. situations.......

[Esseesse]

jmorgan said:

Is that what was called a cookie?

News just said it's a "block buster".

[tank slapper]

jmorgan said:

Is that what was called a cookie?

They quote a weight of 1.8 tons which would make it a 4000lb cookie. http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_...

[Benni]

Bomb squads have been busy in recent weeks, this November (and October) we did not have any rain at all,
lots of rivers are almost running dry, so a lot of unexploded WW2 stuff has appeared in sight.
Koblenz is located in a valley so maybe the blast would be amplified/concentrated ?
45.000 people, biggest evacuation since "The War" (see, I mentioned it), hope all goes well.

[TheEnd]

Good Lord, they are expensive.

[AJS-]

NismoGT said:

This might happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwlNPhn64TA

I know that they are a massive force for destruction and run a very real risk of annihilating the entire human race one day, but that is just beautiful.

[pacman1]

tank slapper said:

jmorgan said:

Is that what was called a cookie?

They quote a weight of 1.8 tons which would make it a 4000lb cookie. http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_...

R Tickle said:

Over 93,000 4000lb high capacity bombs were released between 1941 and 1945

If that area of the Rhine were a popular place for aircraft to get rid of a payload after an aborted mission, eg flak damage or mechanical failure, then there may well be a few more nearby. I'd have thought the shock wave from that thing could well set off other unstable stuff not yet found, if it went up.

[Streps]

Jim the Sunderer said:

They melted our school gates down for that?

There must be alot more out there.

[JMGS4]

Streps said:

There must be alot more out there.

UXBs are turned up almost weekly throughout Germany, especially in the larger towns. The towns were rebuilt very fast after 1945 and a lot of UXBs were missed and are now being found regularly as the 40s and 50s housing stock is being replaced.....
More BBC non-news.....

[Eric Mc]

Cookies were "thin-walled/high blast-effect" bombs designed to knock down buildings, blow out windows and doors etc. They were ususally dropped in conjunction with smaller incendiaries - the object being to create the right conditions for fires to take gold.

[jmorgan]

pacman1 said:

tank slapper said:

jmorgan said:

Is that what was called a cookie?

They quote a weight of 1.8 tons which would make it a 4000lb cookie. http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_...

R Tickle said:

Over 93,000 4000lb high capacity bombs were released between 1941 and 1945

If that area of the Rhine were a popular place for aircraft to get rid of a payload after an aborted mission, eg flak damage or mechanical failure, then there may well be a few more nearby. I'd have thought the shock wave from that thing could well set off other unstable stuff not yet found, if it went up.

Yep, mentioned in a few books I have been reading. Some, it would appear, landed with the load still on when they would not drop

So, wiki has a Wellington at 4,500lb capacity (not looked past wiki). Stirling up to 14,000lb. I know there were other bombers but as you say, what else may be there.

[Saddle bum]

Benni said:

Bomb squads have been busy in recent weeks, this November (and October) we did not have any rain at all,
lots of rivers are almost running dry, so a lot of unexploded WW2 stuff has appeared in sight.
Koblenz is located in a valley so maybe the blast would be amplified/concentrated ?
45.000 people, biggest evacuation since "The War" (see, I mentioned it), hope all goes well.

They should not have joined if they could not take a joke!!

[Mr_B]

So what is the biggest German bomb that could be sitting in the Thames ?

[Eric Mc]

German bombs weren't so big because they never developed big enough bombers to carry the types of loads the British "heavies" could carry.

I think the biggest bomb that would have been carried during the Blitz would have been a the 1,000 kg "Herman" bomb.

This website seems to indicate that the largest German free fall bomb was 2,500 kg.

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/bombs.htm...


The ultimate British free fall bomb was, of course, the 22,000 lb Grand Slam which could only be carried by specially modified Lancasters.