Bomb squads detonate 9 ‘extremely unstable’ World War I explosives found in Cape Cod – IOTW Report

Bomb squads detonate 9 ‘extremely unstable’ World War I explosives found in Cape Cod

POLICE1

By Jackson Cote
MassLive.com, Springfield, Mass.

WELLFEET, Mass. — A nearly explosive situation on Cape Cod over the weekend was quelled by both members of the United States Military and Massachusetts State Police.

The U.S. Navy and the state police bomb squad detonated several unexploded World War I era ordnances on Saturday after the explosives were found on a Wellfleet resident’s property, according to a statement from the town’s fire department.

Wellfleet firefighters responded shortly before 3:40 p.m. to a report of the newly discovered unexploded ordnances, the department said.

WBZ reported that the resident who found the explosives was digging on his property as part of a driveway expansive project. more

11 Comments on Bomb squads detonate 9 ‘extremely unstable’ World War I explosives found in Cape Cod

  1. The wife, before she retired, traveled the Southeast, monitoring old test ranges for unexploded ordinance.
    She went to one site that had been reported to have a building underway.
    When she got there she explained to the site manager she was there to investigate the extent of unexploded ordinance. The guy took her to a big old live oak and under it there was a pile of unexploded mortar shells.
    She was a little shaken up.
    The site manager explained he knew if they reported in the beginning they would be shut down so they gathered them up as they found them and stockpiled them.
    God looks out for the idiots, apparently.

    5
  2. It’s been 35 years or so, but when I was a fisherman off the CT shoreline, we netted a WWII mine – the kind the was anchored beneath the surface and waited for a spike to be broken off. We didn’t discover it until we were reeling in the net. Several of the detonators were missing.

    Coast Guard came out and we swapped vessels while they disentangled it (destroying a $2000 net in the process. That’s 1985 dollars.)

    Last I knew it was sitting at a museum in… Gloucester, I think it was.

    Fun but unprofitable day.

  3. @ beachmom

    Yes, Wellfleet oysters are tasty, especially when the Red Tide makes its periodic appearance in the bay and helps clean your colon.

    This year’s Oysterfest will be a “virtual” event, held at the W.H.A.T. Theater and live-streamed.

Comments are closed.