Danger UXB!

[The Inspector]

There's an ammo freighter that sank off the Northwest tip of Washington during Viet Nam. full of ammo and full of fuel oil.

[JDK]

For those of us in 'the new world' this gives another indication of the scale of the issue. Nothing like that here (thankfully) and the worst from the American Civil War isn't anywhere in this league. Posted by Eric Munk on Key:

Bomb disposal on the mainland is somewhat of a necessity, and is mandatory on discovery AND on getting new planning permissions (at least in The Netherlands). Cases in my hometown alone the past decade:
- Clearing of around 65 bombs and mortars around a major river crossing bridge to enable a new bridge to be built. Heaviest was a 1000-lbs.
- Clearing of a shot-down Lancaster bomber including bombs and ordnance due to a new road being put in (the Lanc went in with a 4,000-lbs bomb on board).
- Dredging the medieval city centre canals produced no less than 200 pieces of heavy ammo, guns, mortars and grenades.
- A two year delay in a housing estate plan due to unexploded ordnance from WW2, mainly 500-lbs bombs that missed a nearby wharf. They were discovered during planning when looking at old air-ground pics showing exploded bomb strings with 'missing' gaps indicating unexploded ordnance.

And my hometown wasn't even heavily bombed in WW2!

I remember the foggy mornings on Eindhoven airport waiting for the weather to improve to fly, with the military routinely setting off bombs they found on the old airfield. 163 alone from an old 1500 metres strip, including 39 1000-lbs ones. Made for some pretty impressive bangs.

[Pat Carry]

Somewhat along these same lines, are they still finding planes in the Zuider Zee? I remember seeing in one of my B-17 books as one ploder was being drained, a fully intact B-17 (Dinah Mite?) was found sitting magnificently on its gear appearing like a ghost as the water receded. I dont suppose somethinmg that dramatic will be found but how about pieces of aircraft? Amazingly the B-17 was scrapped an this was in the 1970's as I recall.