Old military ordnance prompts Lakeport police evacuation

[Subdeacon Joe]

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4328918-181/old-military-ordnance-prompts-lakeport

 

A Lakeport woman walked into the police station carrying an old anti-aircraft round, prompting officers to evacuate the station for at least six hours until the ordnance was detonated by a military crew, Lakeport police said Tuesday.

The woman, who wasn’t identified, didn’t know the item carried in her purse could be dangerous, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said.

She arrived at about 9:10 a.m. Monday and took the round — about the size of a travel coffee mug — out of her handbag and placed it on the lobby counter. Officers immediately got everyone outside and prevented the public from entering the parking lot.

 

 

[Utah Bob #35998]

Found a 250lb WWII B17 dropped bomb once. Saw the fins from the helicopter after a wildfire burnt off the underbrush on this big prairie. It was used as a training range by the Air Corps in '42.

Called them up and they sent a guy out to detonate it. It was still live.

 

[Dubious Don #56333]

Bout oh...thirty-some years ago had a guy wander into the MP station one bright, sunny, fine Sunday and politely inquire what people did with unexploded ordnance found on the post's old ranges. When the desk Sgt told him they usually call the MP's and we call EOD he grinned, announced he was in the right place then and produced a rusty WWII pineapple grenade from a pocket (sans pin and spoon) and set it on the counter. We-uns made a hasty exit!!!

 

It went boom just fine! (on the range with a counter-charge to detonate it)

[Alpo]

Saw a "treasure hunter" on youtube. German. Metal detector in the woods. Old battlegrounds, looking for war souvenirs.

 

One of the things he found was a WW2 GI pineapple, all rusty, and he ATTEMPTED to set it off. Pulled the pin and tossed it, and when it did not go bang, walked up on it to see what was wrong.

 

Some people.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Yep, I've found unexploded ordnance on multiple occasions. Once at the National Training Center, I found a 155mm artillery shell with a mechanical fuse (it spins like an old fashioned watch). It had struck a rock in such a way that the fuse stopped spinning, and was lying there on the ground with the fuse spring still under pressure. As it deteriorated over the years, anything that eventually set that fuse to spinning would have detonated the round. The regimental tactical operations center for the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was 20 meters away from it

 

Man, you should have seen their faces when I told them they had to move! They chose to ignore me, so I called EOD myself, who called range control, who made them move.

 

Once at my LEO job a man called to say his brother had passed away and had left behind some type of military ordnance. His brother had insisted it was inert. It only took me one look to determine it was probably not inert. It was not US manufacture, but I recognized the copper "obdurator" had no rifling grooves cut into it, indicating it had never been fired. The bottom of the bomb was solid, meaning it had not had the exposive charge removed. A bomb squad tech retrieved a trailer they have to transport explosives, and gave it to nearby FT Carson's EOD team (we have an agreement with them for military ordnance). They later detonated it and told us it was, in fact, live. This thing had been hanging out in the guy's shed for decades.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Saipan:

 

[Trailrider #896]

Heard the Brits found a UXB dropped by the Jerry's during the Blitz, just the other day! Fortunately, they were able to remove it. Don't know if they defuzed it or blew it (NOT in place!!!). Heard about an anti-aircraft flak shell that hit a B-17, but didn't explode. EOD opened it up and found no explosive, but a note written in Chech. When they found somebody to translate, the message was something like "This is what happens when you use some slave labor!"

[Iron Pony]

Hmm, what to do, what to do. Had a local pastor come into the station one night and tell me one of his flock had built a bomb while depressed. Where is said bomb i asked. In my car said the pastor. Where is said vehicle I asked. Right out front replied the pastor. Oh joy and happiness thought I. SOP said evac an area of particular distance from the device, which would have been our police and fire station plus pretty much most of the hospital across the street. One of the other guys on duty asked him to move the car around back, if he was willing, and the pastor did. Got it further from the cop shop and closer to the fire guys equipment, read engines and ladder truck. Only problem was the good pastor parked it right next to an LP tank about the size of a small submarine. Turned out to be nonfunctional which was nice but our chief was not happy and the fire chief even less so.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Anybody else remember this old British TV series from the late 70's...?

 

Danger UXB

 

[Alpo]

We had some excitement, some 40-odd years back.

 

Feller went diving, out in the bay. There had been a naval battle there, over the saltworks. And he came up with this cannon ball. Neat.

 

Took it home, and it sat on his carport for 20 years or so. His kids would use it for a bowling ball, on the driveway, rolling it back up toward the house. Jr. High School right across the street.

 

Then, that 40 or so years back, a visitor to his house saw it, and freaked. Called the cops who called the Air Force bomb squad.

 

It weren't solid shot. You know, hunnerd-year-old black powder is still good, even if it's been under water for that hunnerd years?

 

So the bomb squad took it off and blew it up. Pissed him off that they took his cannon ball.

[Utah Bob #35998]

Most Civil War cannos were solid shot. Some were cannister with a charge. Mortar rounds usually contained a charge. The fuse ignited on firing. SDJ knows all about that CW ordnance.

[Utah Bob #35998]

Anybody else remember this old British TV series from the late 70's...?

 

Danger UXB

 

That was a fantastic series!!

[Subdeacon Joe]

KIND. NO. WEIGHT. REMARKS.

For 6

-pounder Gun. Pounds.

Shot, fixed............. 25 190.00 In left half.

Spherical case, axed..... 20 136.40 In 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th divisions, right

half

Canister, fixed.......... 5 42.00 In 5th division, right half.

Spare cartridges, 1 1/4 lbs.. 2 2.60 On the spherical case.

Friction primers......... 75 0.97 In tube pouch, or in bundles.

Slow match, yards 1 ½ 0.28 {1 ½ ye slow match, and 1 portfire

Portfires 3 0.86 are put in each packing box when

sent from the arsenals.}

373.11

For 12-pounder Gun.

Shot, fixed.............. 20 308.00 In left half, and in 4th division of right

half.

Spherical case, fixed...... 8 108.00 In 1st and 2d divisions, right half

Canister, fixed........... 4 67.64 In 3d division, right half.

Spare cartridges, 2 ½ lbs... 2 5.12 On the spherical case.

Friction primers......... 48 .63 In tube pouch, or bundles.

Slow match, yards....... 2 .38 {On the ammunition, in right halt.}

Portfires....................... 4 1.15

490.92

For Light 12-pdr. Gun.

Shot, fixed.............. 12 184.8 In 1st, 2d, and 3d divisions, left half.

Spherical case, fixed...... 12 176.4 In 1st, 2d, and 3d divisions, right half.

Shells.................. 4 48.7 In 4th division, left half.

Canister................ 4 67.6 In 4th division, right half.

Spare cartridges, 2$ lbs... 2 5. On the shells.

Friction primers......... 48 .4 In tube pouches, or in the tray.

Slow match, yards....... 2 .5

Portfire................ 4 .7 {On the ammunition, in right half.}



from: http://www.civilwarartillery.com/books/gibbon.pdf