Subdeacon Joe Posted March 19 Posted March 19 Found on FB "Fired unexploded Battleship rounds recovered on Iwo Jima are piled in a munitions scrap area - March 1945 Most of these are 14” HC / HE shells, Note that the nose fuses have been removed, also looks like a few aerial bombs mixed in. These duds probably resulted from the soft volcanic ash soil on Iwo Jima. LIFE Magazine Archives - W. Eugene Smith Photographer WWP-PD" 2 Quote
Dubious Don #56333 Posted March 19 Posted March 19 HC = High Capacity. Bigger boom. Beeg-Bada-Boom LOL 2 Quote
Alpo Posted March 19 Posted March 19 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Dubious Don #56333 said: HC = High Capacity. Bigger boom. Beeg-Bada-Boom LOL Have you got red hair? Well hell. If they are going to insist upon merging these two posts, I will have to insist upon coming in here and separating them. That way people will know that the second comment had nothing to do with the first. Good thing Utah Bob wasn't there. Edited March 19 by Alpo 3 Quote
Subdeacon Joe Posted March 19 Author Posted March 19 7 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said: Whats the disposal method? Just a guess, but probably gathered up, loaded aboard a ship, then taken out and dumped in the ocean. Quote
Sixgun Seamus Posted March 19 Posted March 19 9 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said: Whats the disposal method? Lots of gasoline and light a match? 3 Quote
Dr. Zook Posted March 19 Posted March 19 (edited) Just read a good article about EOD in the Marshall Islands --- letter-from-the-marshall-islands-defuzing-the-past (credit archaeology magazine) - the estimated percentage of ordnance that didn't explode on impact is astounding. Amazing how much unexploded ordnance is still being found around the world from capitol cities to minor dots on the map. trivia note: U.S. battleships with 14-inch guns that provided heavy gunfire support included USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Texas (BB-35), USS New York (BB-34), USS Idaho (BB-42) and USS Tennessee (BB-43) during the Iwo Jima campaign. Shell Dye Markers: Nevada (BB-36) - Orange Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Red New York (BB-34) and Texas (BB-35)- No dye New Mexico (BB-40) - Green Mississippi (BB-41) - Orange Idaho (BB-42) - Blue Tennessee (BB-43) - No Dye California (BB-44) - No Dye 14" HC Shell weight: 1,275lbs (propellant charge [full] 420lbs (4 bags)) 14" AP shell weight: 1,500lbs Edited March 20 by Dr. Zook nomenclature change 1 1 Quote
Dr. Zook Posted March 19 Posted March 19 3 hours ago, Alpo said: HE is high explosive. But what is HC? Just sent you some light reading --- Headache to follow Quote
Dr. Zook Posted March 19 Posted March 19 @Subdeacon Joe Thank you for posting about this --- every day I get to learn something new about history 1 Quote
Subdeacon Joe Posted March 19 Author Posted March 19 1 hour ago, Dr. Zook said: @Subdeacon Joe Thank you for posting about this --- every day I get to learn something new about history Quote
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted March 19 Posted March 19 With fuses removed they should be inert and nthng can pssbly g wrng. To dump them at sea would you load them aboard a ship or a towed barge? Quote
Chantry Posted March 19 Posted March 19 5 hours ago, Dr. Zook said: Just read a good article about EOD in the Marshall Islands --- letter-from-the-marshall-islands-defuzing-the-past (credit archaeology magazine) - the estimated percentage of ordnance that didn't explode on impact is astounding. Amazing how much unexploded ordnance is still being found around the world from capitol cities to minor dots on the map. trivia note: U.S. battleships with 14-inch guns that provided heavy gunfire support included USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Texas (BB-35), USS New York (BB-34), USS Idaho (BB-42) and USS Tennessee (BB-43) during the Iwo Jima campaign. Shell Dye Markers: Nevada (BB-36) - Orange Pennsylvania (BB-38) - Red New York (BB-34) and Texas (BB-35)- No dye New Mexico (BB-40) - Green Mississippi (BB-41) - Orange Idaho (BB-42) - Blue Tennessee (BB-43) - No Dye California (BB-44) - No Dye 14" HC Shell weight: 1,275lbs (powder charge [full] 420lbs (4 bags)) 14" AP shell weight: 1,500lbs The 4 bags referenced in your email is the propellant charge, not the bursting charge. Link: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_14-45_mk10.php Projectile Types and Weights 1a New York class AP Mark 20 Mod 1 - 1,500 lbs. (680.4 kg) 2a HC Mark 19 Mod 1 - 1,275 lbs. (578 kg) 2a Bombardment Mark 9 Mod 4 - 1,410 lbs. (639.6 kg) 3a Target Mark 21 Mod 1 - 1,500 lbs. (680.4 kg) 4a Nevada and Pennsylvania classes 5a AP Mark 16 Mods 1 to 11 - 1,500 lbs. (680.4 kg) 2a HC Mark 19 Mods 2 to 6 - 1,275 lbs. (578 kg) HC Mark 22 Mod 0 - 1,275 lbs. (578 kg) 6a Target Mark 17 - 1,500 lbs. (680.4 kg) 7a Target Mark 18 - 1,500 lbs. (680.4 kg) Bursting Charge New York class AP Mark 20 - 22.90 lbs. (10.4 kg) Explosive D HC Mark 19 Mod 1 - 104.21 lbs. (47.3 kg) Explosive D Bombardment Mark 9 - 105.0 lbs. (47.6 kg) Explosive D Nevada and Pennsylvania classes AP Mark 16 - 22.90 lbs. (10.4 kg) Explosive D HC Mark 19 Mods 2 to 6 - 104.21 lbs. (47.3 kg) Explosive D HC Mark 22 - 104.21 lbs. (47.3 kg) Explosive D 1 1 Quote
watab kid Posted March 19 Posted March 19 7 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said: Just a guess, but probably gathered up, loaded aboard a ship, then taken out and dumped in the ocean. this wpould be my expectation too , they did that with rifles and such as well , Quote
Dr. Zook Posted March 20 Posted March 20 4 hours ago, Chantry said: The 4 bags referenced in your email is the propellant charge, not the bursting charge. Link: http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_14-45_mk10.php Absolutely correct, I changed the wording on the initial post -- yes, the bursting charge is much less. Interesting the full propellant charge for the 14"/50 was 420lbs total divided into 4 bags or 105lbs of powder per bag - while the 16"50 Mk7 were 660lbs total divided into 6 bags or 110lbs of powder per bag. Obviously with a change in larger shell diameter and weight for the 16"/50. 1 Quote
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted March 20 Posted March 20 (edited) There were still tons of unexploded and abandoned ammo all over Okinawa when I was there.....22 to 25 years after the war ended. TV and radio announcements were broadcast several time a week warning folks in several languages about the dangers and EOD never took a break the whole time. They were carefully gathered and taken off shore to an unoccupied island (or so I was told) where they were destroyed by explosives, probably C-4. Edited March 24 by Forty Rod SASS 3935 1 Quote
Sedalia Dave Posted March 21 Posted March 21 HE = High Explosive HC = High Capacity High Explosive The HC shells packed a bigger punch than the standard High Explosive shells. Quote
Dubious Don #56333 Posted March 24 Posted March 24 On 3/19/2025 at 6:45 AM, Alpo said: Have you got red hair? Well hell. If they are going to insist upon merging these two posts, I will have to insist upon coming in here and separating them. That way people will know that the second comment had nothing to do with the first. Good thing Utah Bob wasn't there. No. I haven't got red hair. And I wasn't no Swabbie.....ROTFL Quote
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