Cut the red wire, or the blue?
There are estimated to be around 25,000 unexploded devices beneath the ground and along the coasts of Italy, dangerous remnants of the wars of the 20th century. Neutralizing them is the work of a specialized military unit that handles, on average, 8,000 ordnance per year.
Deadly relics from Europe’s troubled century
Italy was an important battleground during both World Wars. The US Air Force and Royal Air Force alone are estimated to have dropped around 378,000 tons of ordnance during the war, 10% of which did not explode due to manufacturing defects or unfavorable conditions, and may be buried as far as 26 feet beneath the surface. There may still be mines that were planted by retreating Germans after the armistice of September 8, 1943 as well as grenades that remain from the civil war between the partisans and the German-controlled Republic of Salò during the initial years of the Second World War. To say nothing of chemical devices used in World War I…
Historic bombs in a modern, bustling country
Earlier in 2018, a bomb that was more than 3 feet long and weighing around 500 pounds was found along the beach in Fano, on the Adriatic Sea, resulting in the evacuation of 23,000 residents, nearly one-third of the city’s population. The operation involved 20 military personnel and was particularly difficult not only due to its location near a city, but also because it had deferred fuses, with an internal device set to explode anywhere from 6 to 144 hours after it was triggered. The bomb was dragged 2 miles out off the coast, along the dangerously bumpy seafloor, then safely detonated.
Just a few months later, on July 29, 11,000 people were evacuated in a 1-mile radius of an unexploded device found near the central train station of Terni, in Umbria. It took three days to neutralize and remove the bomb to a cave where it was discharged.
Changes in climate and erosion can bring these bombs closer to the surface. In addition, over time, mechanical and chemical reactions inside the bombs can make them more unstable and unpredictable. Every year, there are at least a few reports of injuries, and occasionally deaths, related to unexploded bombs.
Cut the red wire, or the blue?
The unit specialized in defusing and removing these devices is made up of around 100 officers from various units of the military and police, organized into 12 engineering regiments throughout Italy. Although the large bombs mentioned above are the ones that get the most public attention, in reality they deal with devices of all sizes, including hand grenades, artillery shells, and cartridges.
One of their best weapons of defense is prevention. Thus, Italian law requires that all construction projects that involve digging to more than 16 feet must be assessed for potential risk of unexploded ordnances. (Click here for another article I wrote about unexpected finds during Italian construction projects.)
Lorenzo Di Bella, an Army lieutenant in the unit, told La Stampa newspaper, “It is more about neutralizing than exploding them. Our primary objective is to limit any damage … Based on the context, we decide whether to destroy the bomb in place or to recover it to another site.” The device can be set off in specially dug holes or in tubs surrounded by iron wires and burlap. Another method is to build structures over the bomb that serve to contain the explosion.
These remnants of the violence of the 20th century are not just a problem for Italy. Click here to read a fascinating article by the Smithsonian about unexploded bombs in Germany.
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