Why Did They Leave the USS Arizona Underwater-- Part 2:

The USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1916.  At the time, it was one of the most powerful warships in the world.  It had twelve 14-inch guns (three each in four turrets).

It saw action in World War I and in the years following the war served as a training ship and was modernized on several occasions  to keep pace with new develoments in naval architecture.

Sadly, its most  significant moment in history came at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when it was struck by several bombs, one of which exploded in a forward magazine causing a huge explosion.

**************************

THE BOMB

The Japanese had turned an obsolete  16 inch shell from a Nagato-class battleship into a special bomb.  They also had  modified obsolete  Type 88 shells in 1939-1940 to create the Type 99 Number 80 Mk 5 armor piercing bomb.

You really need to look at this articles for pictures and other information.

--GreGen

What Made the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor So Devastating?-- Part 2

Torpedo planes coordinated their assault with aircraft carrying Type 99 anti-ship bombs, which were converted artillery shells.  When dropped from an attitude, the streamlined projectiles could pierce  steel armor, penetrate through a ship's decks, and explode.

One such bomb caused the  massive fatal explosion on the USS Arizona, killing 1,177 servicemen in seconds.

To strike targets further inland,  dive bombers carried the Type 98 general-purpose bomb, wreaking havoc on airfields, structures, vehicles and parked aircraft.

--GreGen

What Made the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor So Devastating?-- Part 1

From January 30, 2023, History Net by ParaagShukla.

Some of the bombs and torpedoes were custom-designed.

For their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese utilized a mix of torpedoes and bombs --  some specially customized for the job.

By December 1941, the Japanese had  refined their "Type 91, Modification 2" torpedo to be extremely reliable.  But, Pearl Harbor's shallow 45-foot deep waters posed a problem: when dropped. a torpedo would typically plunge at least 90 feet before rising to attack depth.

After extensive testing, the Japanese atached wooden tail fins and slipped wooden  sheaths over the torpedoe's side anti-roll tabs.  Both additions -- which increased  surface area, added bouyancy, and broke away upon impact with the water -- proved decisive.

--GreGen

The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in the War-- Part 1: Bomb Fuses and Drones

In my last post, the Rudolph Wurlitzer factory in DeKalb, Illinois, was looking for help to make aircraft during the war.  Here is some more information about the company in the war.

During World War II, the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company halted production of musical instruments.  The company's defense  production efforts  were recognized in 1943 and 1944  when its North Tonawanda and DeKalb plants received the Army-Navy "E"  Award.

In 1946, peacetime production resumed and the Wurlitzer Company  introduced two new instruments:  the electric organ (1947) and electric piano (1954).

The North Tonawanda, New York, plant stopped producing organs in 1942 and started making bomb proximity fuses.

The DeKalb factory had been retooled and was where the Interstate TDR was made.  This was an early drone plane used during WW II.  I will do do some more research on the TDR Interstate.  I always thought drones were a fairly new thing, but evidently not according to this.

--GreGen

Bits of War: Dozens of Bombs Found, Niece Wants Uncle Returned, WW II Vet and Tomb Sentinel Honored, Finally

1.  DOZENS OF BOMBS FOUND--  36 bombs were found over a three day period at German city of Neutraubling  Some were still live and exploded.    A new industrial park is being built  There was a Messerschmitt plant there during the war and it was heavily bombed.

2.  NIECE WANTS UNCLE'S REMAINS RETURNED TO IOWA--  William "Bill" Querl, was killed in the war and buried in the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

The American Red Cross brought his mother news of his death on September 16, 1942.  She had lost her husband, had two sons in the military and was about to lose her home.  devastated, she signed a document to allow his body to be buried in the Philippines.  She regretted it ever since.

3.  WORLD WAR II VETS AND TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS GUARD, 100, FINALLY HONORED--  Jack Eaton is the oldest living Tomb of the Unknowns Sentinel.  However, the plaque honoring former Sentinels where his name should have been had omitted his name.  It is now on the plaque.

--GreGen

Fourth Mission of the Day-- Part 3: The New American Fourth Fighter Group

As commander of the newly formed American Fourth Fighter Group, consisting mostly of former members of the Eagle Squadron, Colonel Blakeslee led three squadrons of 16 single-seat, single-engine P-51 Mustangs.  Each Mustang was equipped with six machine guns mounted in the wings and sighted so that the bullet streams could converge on the Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulf fighters that were trying to shoot down Allied bombers.

The Fourth Fighter Group made many significant achievements.  On march 6, 1944, they became the first to fly above the fleet of B-17s and B-24s as they each dropped up to 4,000 pounds of bombs on Berlin.  And, on April 8, , 1944, they set a record for the European Theater, shooting down 31 planes ion one day.

--GreHen

The Odyssey of Utah Man and Ploesti-- Part 3: Bullet-Riddled

Walter Stewart's plane was so seriously damaged and leaking fuel that he was going to belly land  it.

But then his other crewmen discovered they had bombs still aboard that had gotten hung up in the bomb bay. They pried those loose and dropped them over open areas before continuing the flight home, expecting to run out of fuel at any moment.

He then nursed his four engine B-24, bullet-riddled and perilously low on fuel, back across Yugoslavia and over the Mediterranean to its home base in Libya, landing safely after 1,200 miles and 14 hours in the air.

--GreGen

Lack of Bomb Volunteers and Girl Scout Cookie Sales

From the March 20, 2017, Roanoke (Va,) Times "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

**  "Completion of the civilian defense set up is being somewhat retarded here because of lack of volunteers for service in bomb squads, one of the most dangerous branches of the auxiliary police program."

**  "Roanoke Girl Scouts went over their goal in the annual cookie sale last night, the latest report showing a grand total of 14,410 pounds sold compared to the goal of 14,000 boxes."

I Wonder If Cookie Sales Continued During the Rest of the War.  --GreGen

A Long Forgotten Nazi Memorial Mystery-- Part 3: Here's the Story

At the start of World War II, Adolf Hitler decided he wanted to show the world just how susceptible America was to a German attack so he ordered his military to devise a plan.

The high command recruited eight Germans for the mission.  In teams of four, the men were loaded onto a pair of U-boats, one destined for Jacksonville and the other for a beach near the tip of Long Island.

On June 13, 1942, the New York group reached shore -- and was discovered by an unarmed Coast Guardsman on foot patrol.  The Germans escaped, but by morning the Coast Guard had unearthed the Germans' buried supplies:  fuses, pre-made bombs and four crates of TNT.

Those supplies wouldn't have mattered as their leader, John Dasch, had no intention of setting off any of the bombs.  When the group reached New York City, he and a comrade decided to turn the others in to American authorities, so Dasch phoned the FBI.

--GreGen

Incendiary Bombs Sent to DeKalb in 1942

From the May 17, 2017, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

Incendiary bombs have been received in DeKalb to be used in demonstrations in the various classes of training in the Civilian Defense Council work.

"It is expected that there will be a demonstration for the auxiliary policemen this evening, if the weather permits and there will also be one for the air wardens on Friday night."

Big Boom, Big Fire.  --GreGen

Survived Seven Torpedoes and Came Back: The USS West Virgina-- Part 1

From the February 12, 2016, Daily News "This ship survived 7 torpedoes at Pearl Harbor and went on to help crush the Japanese" by Daniel McDonald.

The USS West Virginia was struck by a torpedo from a Japanese midget submarine and immediately began sinking, listing to the port.  That list got worse as successive torpedoes crashed into her.  The damage was major on its port side, facing out into the harbor.

At least seven torpedoes hit the ship and 2 bombs as well, but fortunately the bombs didn't explode.  The ship was counter-flooded on its starboard side so it wouldn't end up capsizing like the USS Oklahoma.

An oil fire raged through the ship for 30 hours, buckling the metal in many places.

The captain and many of the crew died that day.  Captain Mervyn S. Bennion received a posthumous Medal of Honor for saving his ship as he lay dying from shrapnel that pierced his abdomen.

Navy cook Dorie Miller helped him and then noticed an unmanned .50 caliber machine gun, manned it ans=d shot down 3 or 4 planes.  He became the first black sailor to be awarded the Navy Cross.

--GreGen

Massive World War II Bomb Evacuation in Greece

From the Feb. 10, 2017, NPR Northern Public Radio "Long-Buried World War II Bomb Prompts Massive Evacuation In Greece" by Colin Dwyer.

It was found by a gas station in Greece's second largest city, the port of Thessaloniki, buried 16-feet deep next to the station's underground gas tanks by a gas company crew.

They are believed to be between 150-250 kilograms.

Being a major port, the city was of a high strategic importance during the war.

Some 72,000 people with in a 1.2 mile radius will be evacuated for the disarming taking place on Sunday.

--GreGen

Germany Evacuated Entire Town On This Past Christmas Day Because of World War II Bomb

From the December 25, 2016, Independent "Germany evacuated entire town on Christmas Day after discovering Second World War bomb."

Thousands in the town of Augsburg were forced to evacuate while authorities worked to disarm the bomb.  It was discovered last week during construction in the city's central district.

The evacuation involved some 32,000 homes and 54,000 people in a 1.8 kilometer zone.

The bomb found was weighed 1.8 tons.  That's a huge blast if it goes off.

A large part of Augsburg was destroyed February 25-26, 1944, when it was bombed by hundreds of British and American bombs.

Bombs, the Gifts That Keep Giving.  --GreGen

World War II-Era Bomb Exploded in Tallahassee, Florida

From the November 17, 2016, Sun sentinel (Florida)  "Bombs Away!  WW-II-era munition found, detonated near Florida State University" by Brendon Farrington, AP.

The big explosion was heard several miles away and the force very evident closer.  The bomb was found in a construction area near campus less than a mile from the Florida State Capitol.  It is in a trendy area of stores and restaurants.

The 325th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight from Tyndall AFB in Panama City identified the bomb and detonated it at 9:30 p.m. after digging a large hole, placing the bomb inside it and covering it.

No one is sure how it came to be there, but Tallahassee had a training airfield during World War II.

--GreGen

Bombs Linger Decades After a War is Over-- Part 6: Problems in Laos left Over from the Vietnam War

According to the Mines Advisory Group, nine people a day are killed by land mines and unexploded ordnance. worldwide.    Nowhere is the threat greater than in Laos which has the distinction of being the most heavily bombed country per capita in history.More than two million tons of ordnance was dropped on the country by the United States during the Vietnam War.

In the four decades since, more than 8,000 people have been killed and 12,000 wounded. Much of the harm is caused by cluster bombs, which spew dozens of smaller bomblets when detonated and can rip apart an area as large as a football field.

The tennis-ball-sized explosives known as "bombies" are often triggered by farmers or playful children.  One 9-year-old boy was killed when his hoe struck one.  here is another story of two children tossing one around, thinking it was a ball.  When it burst, one child was killed instantly.

Advocacy efforts have convinced the U.S. to quadruple its spending on bomb removal in Laos.  That sum is now $12 million.

--GreGen

Bombs Linger Decades After a War Is Over-- Part 5: Increasingly Brittle Detonators

After World War II, international agreements began to require warring countries to deal with the problem of unexploded ordnance.  But efforts are not always effective.  According to a 2008 article in Der Spiegel, discoveries of unexploded ordnance are a weekly occurrence in Germany.  And, even worse, the buried bombs become even more dangerous as their detonators erode.

"In the past few years we've found that the detonators we take out of such bombs are increasingly brittle," bomb disposal expert Hans-Juergen Weise told the German paper.  "Recently we've had three extractors go off with a pissssh sound while they were being transported away; all it took was a bit of vibration.  One day such bombs will be so sensitive that no one will be able to handle them.."

--GreGen

Bombs Linger Decades After a War Is Over-- Part 3: The Civil War and World War I

Explosives often aren't still potent a century and a half after they were made, but not always.

Union and Confederate forces lobbed an estimated 1.5 million artillery shells and cannonballs at one another during the war. and as many as 20% failed to detonate.  Some still pose a threat.

In small farming towns in France and Belgium, undetonated World War I shells turn up during each year's spring planting and autumn harvest.  This is referred to as the "Iron Harvest."

According to BBC, more than a billion shells were fired during this war and as many as a third failed to explode.  In 1996, the French Interior Ministry estimated that there  were at least 12 million shells still posing a danger near Verdun (site of major battles) alone.

And, of course, there are those World War II shells and bombs as France was a major scene of fighting again.

Since 1946 when France's Department du Deminage was established, more than 630 demineurs (de-miners) have been killed in the line of duty.

--GreGen

Bombs Linger Decades After a War Is Over-- Part 2 "Unexploded Ordnance"

Despite the distance of years and international protocols aimed at preventing them, still-active bombs, called "unexploded ordnance", linger underground for years after the conflicts are over.

This was the third such device the British Army has had to detonate or defuse in London this year.  And this problem isn't just a British one or even from World War II.

The oldest unexploded ordnance still being discovered these days dates back to America's Civil War, the first conflict where explosive shells were actively used.  Some of the  shells recovered from the CSS Georgia wreck site have been discovered to still be active.

In 2008, Sam White, a Virginia Civil War buff who often looked for war relics, was attempting to restore a cannonball when it exploded, killing him and sending shrapnel through his home and a porch a quarter mile away.

The fatal blast was unusual for a Civil War relic, especially when someone like White was working on it.  White had previously disarmed an estimated 1600 shells for other collectors and museums.

--GreGen

Bombs Linger Decades After a War Is Over-- Part 1: Wake Up and get Out!!

From the August 16, 2015, Chicago Tribune by Sarah Kaplan and  Nick Kirkpatrick, Washington Post.

"The knock came after residents of the east London apartment complex had already gone to bed.  They opened  their doors to see a police officer, a firefighter and a member of the army.

"A 500-pound bomb had been found a few hundred feet away, the officers said.  They needed to get out.

"How did an explosive wind up below this leafy London neighborhood?"

It was likely dropped by a German bomber more than 70 years ago.  Unlike hundreds of others that exploded, this one didn't, and instead sank deep into the London clay or was covered by debris.  It lay dormant for 70 years.

The disposal experts worked through the night and were able to defuse the device the next morning and residents were allowed to return home.

And this is not a rarity.  It happens fairly often and not just in London but in many places in England, France and Germany.

A New Way to Get Bombed.  --GreGen

Berlin's Jewish Museum Closed as WWII Bomb Defused

From the Oct. 25, 2015, CTV News "Berlin's Jewish Museum closed as experts defuse WW II-era bomb found nearby" AP.

A 250-kilogram American bomb was unearthed during construction work.  Some 11,000 residents were forced to be evacuated during the defusing, as well as the museum closing.

Meanwhile, in Kobienz, 5,000 more people were evacuated for the removal of another 250-kilogram bomb found four meters under ground during the construction of a school.

Those Bombs Are Still There.  --GreGen