Tallboy Bomb Detonates in Poland

[John Tapsell]

Some of you may have seen that the Poles recently discovered an unexploded 12,000 pound 'tallboy' bomb in a shipping canal - dropped by the RAF during an attack on the German cruiser Lutzow in 1945.

 

Whilst they were making it safe, it went very unsafe. Nobody injured but a fairly big bang.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54522203

 

 

 

 

[southwestforests]

I expect the fluid dynamics crowd could find interest in that.

[Da SWO]

Did they blow it because they couldn't safe it?

 

It'll be awhile before decent fishing returns to that part of the river.

[Niels]

They planned to "burn" it down in sections, however it detonated in the process, which they figured it would be 50/50 chance for. 

[habu2]

10 hours ago, Da SWO said:

Did they blow it because they couldn't safe it?

 

It'll be awhile before decent fishing returns to that part of the river.

 

I imagine a lot of dead fish are floating right now.....

[Da SWO]

8 hours ago, Niels said:

They planned to "burn" it down in sections, however it detonated in the process, which they figured it would be 50/50 chance for. 

Thanks

[ChesshireCat]

On 10/13/2020 at 5:39 PM, John Tapsell said:

Some of you may have seen that the Poles recently discovered an unexploded 12,000 pound 'tallboy' bomb in a shipping canal - dropped by the RAF during an attack on the German cruiser Lutzow in 1945.

 

Whilst they were making it safe, it went very unsafe. Nobody injured but a fairly big bang.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54522203

 

 

 

 

was not the Lutzow, as it was sold off to Russia in 1940. 

gary

[Mfezi]

5 hours ago, ChesshireCat said:

was not the Lutzow, as it was sold off to Russia in 1940. 

gary

 

It was the Lützow, but not the one that you are thinking of. There were two ships called Lützow: The one that you refer to (actually built later than the other one), was a heavy cruiser of the Admiral Hipper class, sold off to the Soviet Union before the war (my edit: before the invasion of the USSR, since WWII had of course already started) and then renamed Petropavlovsk. Sunk by Germany during the Leningrad defense, raised, repaired and again renamed to Tallinn.

 

The other Lützow is the one referred to by the article: Built several years earlier and commissioned in 1933 as the Deutschland. Reclassified as a heavy cruiser and renamed in 1940 as the Lützow after the other Lützow had been sold off to the USSR and had in turn been renamed the Petropavlovsk. Saw significant action during the war, sunk by the RAF in 1945 in the Kaiserfahrt (where the tallboy in the article was found), later raised by the Soviet Union and again sunk as a target in 1947.

 

Ben

Edited October 15, 2020 by Mfezi

[echolmberg]

It's amazing to believe that such a placid and beautiful the area today was the scene of a terrifying battle 80 years ago.

[ChesshireCat]

13 hours ago, Mfezi said:

 

It was the Lützow, but not the one that you are thinking of. There were two ships called Lützow: The one that you refer to (actually built later than the other one), was a heavy cruiser of the Admiral Hipper class, sold off to the Soviet Union before the war (my edit: before the invasion of the USSR, since WWII had of course already started) and then renamed Petropavlovsk. Sunk by Germany during the Leningrad defense, raised, repaired and again renamed to Tallinn.

 

The other Lützow is the one referred to by the article: Built several years earlier and commissioned in 1933 as the Deutschland. Reclassified as a heavy cruiser and renamed in 1940 as the Lützow after the other Lützow had been sold off to the USSR and had in turn been renamed the Petropavlovsk. Saw significant action during the war, sunk by the RAF in 1945 in the Kaiserfahrt (where the tallboy in the article was found), later raised by the Soviet Union and again sunk as a target in 1947.

 

Ben

It was the Deutschland. Never quite understood the selling off of the cruiser, unless it was to raise funds. Story goes that the RAF missed the ship, but were very close and did damage it pretty good. Still it stayed afloat for two days before sinking. 

gary