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German Federal States — News — Emergency — Hanover — Ammunition — Second World War — Consequences of War — Emergencies — Lower Saxony

Dozens of unexploded bombs in the country: tens of thousands affected

Time and again, old munitions are found in the ground in Lower Saxony - mostly from the Second World War. Once again this year, the explosive ordnance disposal service was called out on many missions.

,   and  Anthony Ross
2 min read
A British 5-centner bomb (l.) and an American 5-centner bomb (r.). Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
A British 5-centner bomb (l.) and an American 5-centner bomb (r.). Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Emergencies - Dozens of unexploded bombs in the country: tens of thousands affected

Even almost 80 years after the end of the Second World War, bombs and other munitions are still being found in the ground in Lower Saxony. By the end of 2023, the Explosive Ordnance Clearance Service in Lower Saxony had had to be called out to defuse or detonate more than 70 items. There were more than 100 operations in each of the past two years.

The munitions found were mostly unexploded ordnance from the Second World War, such as American or British aerial bombs. In addition to the bombs, most of which weighed several hundred kilograms, grenades and cartridges were also found.

In many cases, residents had to leave their houses and apartments. In one operation at the beginning of March, for example, this affected around 20,000 people in Hanover, in July around 10,000 people in Osnabrück and in November 5,000 people in Braunschweig.

However, ammunition remnants are not only discovered on land, but also in the North Sea. For example, the explosive ordnance clearance service had to recover several German bombs from a sandbank in the Wadden Sea off Wangerland in the district of Friesland.

Ammunition that has been in the ground for years is often heavily rusted and no longer recognizable as such at first glance. Anyone who finds something suspicious on their property or while out walking should, according to the Explosive Ordnance Clearance Service, leave it there and inform the police.

Explosive ordnance disposal service of Lower Saxony

Read also:

  1. Despite being eight decades post-World War II, ongoing emergency situations persist in Lower Saxony due to the continuous discovery of unexploded bombs and ammunition, many of which date back to the Second World War.
  2. The consequences of war in Hanover were evident in March 20XX, when an emergency situation arose due to the discovery of American or British aerial bombs, leading to the evacuation of approximately 20,000 residents.
  3. In light of the numerous emergencies caused by unexplored Second World War ammunition, it is crucial for the general public to identify and report any suspicious items they find, as these could potentially pose significant dangers.

Source: www.stern.de

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