Even today, people are still uncovering unexploded WWII bombs in gardens, fields, and under homes. Three uncovered recently have forced an entire city to evacuate.
An estimated 2.7 million tons of bombs were dropped by Allied forces during WWII, and a worrying percentage of these didn’t explode. Even years later, they are being found. Many are relatively safe, but some can be incredibly devastating if triggered.
When found, these unexploded WWII bombs need to be treated with the utmost care. Precautions are taken to clear everyone from the possible blast radius because one false move, and WWIII begins.
The discovered bomb in question was found in Cologne, Germany, while exploratory work was being done. These were no small bombs either. The unexploded bombs were two American-made 20-ton and one 10-ton explosives. Their predicted radius was around 1,000 meters, prompting the biggest evacuation since WWII.
Unexploded Bombs Forced Three-Day Evacuation
Clearing the potential blast zone took three days to complete. Defusal teams couldn’t begin their job until everyone was out of the 1,000-meter radius of the American bombs. Despite being found on the third, the explosives couldn’t be touched until Wednesday.
“The reason for this decision is that critical infrastructure is affected, which cannot be evacuated so quickly,” the city stated. “This includes the Eduardus Hospital and two nursing and retirement homes. These require sufficient lead time to evacuate themselves, and with the assistance of the Cologne Fire Department.”
Everything from the river to bridges had to be shut for the duration of the three days. The disturbance to the city was unprecedented. Schools, churches, and event locations were forced to shut up shop after the unexploded WWII bombs were found. One stubborn resident even refused to leave their home, delaying the diffusion.
The massive WWII bombs have not been safely defused and removed from the city. Since then, life in Cologne is slowly returning to normal. Trains are returning to their schedules, and the homes, hospitals, and more are filling back up with people.
There are still many unexploded bombs left over from the war across many parts of the European countryside and cities. They rarely explode, but when they do, they can be devastating.