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Gottingen....

E

E-tech

Well-Known Member
In June of 2010, a 500kg American bomb detonated in Gottingen, Germany, killing 3.
The news reports often speak of the fuze as being a "delayed action chemical fuze"...
Does anyone here know what model of fuze this could be?
 
It detonated while EOD was preparing to disarm it- killing 3, and wounding 6.
The dead and wounded were said to have over 20 years of combined EOD experience.
Thanks for the quick ID!!!
(Wouldn't happen to have any pictures/cutaways of the fuze, would you?)
 
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From what I have read (VERY limited) it is an acid acting on a delay membrane, which then activates a detonator- even after 65+ years, this system will still work.
I am getting out of the US army (EOD), and hoping to join The Hannover (Germany) bomb disposal team. (I know about most WW2 UXO, except this one- it is very difficult to find information on it).
Hopefully, they would like someone with experience in Afghanistan, and Iraq.............
I've travelled through Gottingen often, on my way to Hannover- I would love to help to protect these cities- they are so beautiful....
 
Yes, for this I say it. The mechanical fuzes are.... mechanical, but the chemical are a different, (and more out of control), system. Anyway I really admire the people like you, you have a very big pair of balls.
 
123 Tail Fuze;

With the combined experience these poor fellows had surely they knew it was a 123 chemical long delay, anti-withdrawal, booby trapped fuze.
The above reply is correct there is not reason why this fuze and the 132 fuze should not function after all these years. A cocked striker is held in placed by locking balls which are contained by a plastic sleeve which is disolved by the acetone. The striker must have hung for some reason then released when the techs started their work. Surely they would not attempt a roll out or an out and out removal of the fuze.
It is a sad event felt by all of us who are or were EOD.
Sincerely,
John aka Bart
 
Not to forget that the bomb was found on a construction site which means that it possibly was moved/shaken by the excavator some hours before the EOD team started to work.
 
John D. Bartleson Jr. said:
With the combined experience these poor fellows had surely they knew it was a 123 chemical long delay, anti-withdrawal, booby trapped fuze.
The above reply is correct there is not reason why this fuze and the 132 fuze should not function after all these years. A cocked striker is held in placed by locking balls which are contained by a plastic sleeve which is disolved by the acetone. The striker must have hung for some reason then released when the techs started their work. Surely they would not attempt a roll out or an out and out removal of the fuze.
It is a sad event felt by all of us who are or were EOD.
Sincerely,
John aka Bart
Click to expand...


John, nobody has done a roll-out for decades, as far as I know they stopped teaching it around 1980. Most affected countries now cut off the base, including the fuze well, to one degree or another, removing the fuze from the bomb/HE without disturbing the threaded portions. All of the normal problems still exist however, and as always, on occasion shit happens.
 
Easy on the old man, I've been retired since 84.
I suppose you realize the German contrived the 'roll out' technique, so I was not sure they were still doing it.
I don't know what was behind the cameraman but the background appeared to beawooded area, BIP?
I was not implying that these fellow EOD techs were uninformed, merely making the statements that surely they did not do the wrong procedures. So what were they doing? What happened to the teachings that on one person will be at the site until RSP is complete. Were there no commo to safe area. Heavens people I am just posing questions, not being critical.
Regards,
John
 
This is really terrible:
In the whole of Germany, more than 2,000 tons of American and British aerial bombs and all sorts of munitions ranging from German hand grenades and tank mines to Russian artillery shells are recovered every year.
My God!
 
Cantrell Tool;

Another posting asked what the Cantrell tool was used for. How about it Mad, isn't the 123?
John
 
Americans suffer for the use of ordnance in WW2 as well- a buddy of mine from EOD school had his leg broken by a stick grenade a few years ago...
I have only been able to find out the most basic of information on this incident.
it is possible that they had so many "downrange" on this bomb, because they had so much experience with it- I've seen this mistake wipe out entire teams in the desert....
I wonder if DC current decay could be used?
Secure the area, and decompose the metal over a period of days/weeks with a DC current, with LONG wires...............
It's been planned for use to clean up ranges in the US, but I don't know if it has ever been used...
 
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DC Current Decay;

Sir,
Could you expand more on this process? Are you speaking of acid trepanning?
Regards,
John aka Bart
 
Hi John,
I must say i didn't know that befor you told use, and thank you for that never to old to learn something new
 
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