Wartime flying bomb found in British capital

azn_132 · 07-29-07, 09:25 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070728/...omb_wartime_dc

Chock · 07-29-07, 10:32 AM

Damn that's unusual, normal UXBs I can understand not being found, as they tended to drill themselves well into the basements of buildings and get covered with rubble, but a Fieseler flying bomb remaining undiscovered is pretty wierd.

Wouldn't like to have been the one defusing that baby - there's a row of houses near where I live with three missing from the line, courtesy of one of those exploding there following the Christmas Eve raid on the North West with those things in 1944. That was when the Luftwaffe air-launched them from under the wings of Heinkel 111 bombers which had flown over the North Sea.

That's a pretty big bang we're talking about.

Chock

Jimbuna · 07-29-07, 03:13 PM

That should be 80,000 people thanking their lucky stars when they go into work tomorrow

tycho102 · 07-29-07, 06:09 PM

I bet it was a bit hairy when the EOD guys showed up.

"It'd be best to just detonate it there."

"Uh......no."

"Really, sir. This stuff's been in the ground, soaking up water and acid for 60 years. This kind of stuff is like nitro -- it's probably so unstable, it'd blow the minute we put tools to the casing. Happens all the time on ocean dives. The best thing to do would be to just set our charges, fill the area with sand, dump a little concrete over it, then cover it with dirt and a light steel dome. Absolutely no problem."

"Tell you what, why don't you just go get some tea and I'll discuss the issue with your supervisor."

mbthegreat · 07-29-07, 06:45 PM

My Nan was telling me the other day about one of these things landing in a neighbours back garden. Didn't go off though luckily

Chock · 07-29-07, 08:25 PM

About eleven miles up the road from me, in the forest near Macclesfield, you can still pick bits of shrapnel from a flying bomb out of trees in the woods. It was one from the same attack as I noted in my earlier post.

Apparently because the Fieseler 103 flying bomb was thrown together cheaply (having to only ever make one flight), the rocket motor would burn holes through the tubing of the exhaust pipe and allow gasses to escape sideways, effectively vectoring the thrust to the side and overcoming the gyros ability to adjust the autopilot enough to keep it on course. Which is why some landed there and in my hometown when they were actually aimed at Oldham quite a few miles away from where I live, so I reckon that one in Macclesfield was about thirty miles off target.

Chock

bookworm_020 · 07-29-07, 09:11 PM

I wonder if the Imperial War Muesum will want it for their collection?

Letum · 07-29-07, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookworm_020

I wonder if the Imperial War Muesum will want it for their collection?

nah, it will be batterd to hell from the landing impact and rusted to hell from 60 underground.

Reaves · 07-30-07, 02:00 AM

I wonder how many more could be lying around somewhere?

07-29-07, 09:25 AM	#1
azn_132 Grey Wolf Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 950 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Wartime flying bomb found in British capital http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070728/...omb_wartime_dc __________________

07-29-07, 10:32 AM	#2
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Damn that's unusual, normal UXBs I can understand not being found, as they tended to drill themselves well into the basements of buildings and get covered with rubble, but a Fieseler flying bomb remaining undiscovered is pretty wierd. Wouldn't like to have been the one defusing that baby - there's a row of houses near where I live with three missing from the line, courtesy of one of those exploding there following the Christmas Eve raid on the North West with those things in 1944. That was when the Luftwaffe air-launched them from under the wings of Heinkel 111 bombers which had flown over the North Sea. That's a pretty big bang we're talking about. Chock __________________

07-29-07, 03:13 PM	#3
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,539 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	That should be 80,000 people thanking their lucky stars when they go into work tomorrow __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

07-29-07, 06:09 PM	#4
tycho102 Ace of the Deep Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,100 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I bet it was a bit hairy when the EOD guys showed up. "It'd be best to just detonate it there." "Uh......no." "Really, sir. This stuff's been in the ground, soaking up water and acid for 60 years. This kind of stuff is like nitro -- it's probably so unstable, it'd blow the minute we put tools to the casing. Happens all the time on ocean dives. The best thing to do would be to just set our charges, fill the area with sand, dump a little concrete over it, then cover it with dirt and a light steel dome. Absolutely no problem." "Tell you what, why don't you just go get some tea and I'll discuss the issue with your supervisor." __________________ My little Silent Hunter 4 repository

07-29-07, 08:25 PM	#6
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	About eleven miles up the road from me, in the forest near Macclesfield, you can still pick bits of shrapnel from a flying bomb out of trees in the woods. It was one from the same attack as I noted in my earlier post. Apparently because the Fieseler 103 flying bomb was thrown together cheaply (having to only ever make one flight), the rocket motor would burn holes through the tubing of the exhaust pipe and allow gasses to escape sideways, effectively vectoring the thrust to the side and overcoming the gyros ability to adjust the autopilot enough to keep it on course. Which is why some landed there and in my hometown when they were actually aimed at Oldham quite a few miles away from where I live, so I reckon that one in Macclesfield was about thirty miles off target. Chock __________________

07-29-07, 06:45 PM	#5
mbthegreat Bosun Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: 900 yards off your port side Posts: 61 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	My Nan was telling me the other day about one of these things landing in a neighbours back garden. Didn't go off though luckily

07-29-07, 09:11 PM	#7
bookworm_020 Navy Seal Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sinking ships off the Australian coast Posts: 5,966 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	I wonder if the Imperial War Muesum will want it for their collection? __________________ "There is always one person in any organization who knows whats going on, That person must be fired"

07-30-07, 02:00 AM	#9
Reaves The Old Man Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,509 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	I wonder how many more could be lying around somewhere? __________________