Excavation of unexploded ordnance near Kolobrzeg

Today, Monday 13 August, sappers of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla carried out an operation to neutralise unexploded ordnance found by tourists bathing on the beach in Podczele, in the eastern part of Kołobrzeg. Sailors from the 8th EOD Battalion and minesweepers from the 12th and 13th minesweeper Squadrons were sent to the site.

The dangerous find was reported to the police by tourists on the beach. On the evening of 8 August they turned to the Navy for help. The duty operational service of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla was called into action and on 10 August they conducted a reconnaissance and search of the beach area in Podczele.

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Unfortunately, due to unfavourable conditions, the work had to be suspended and only when the weather improved did it have to be resumed on Saturday 11 August. As a result of the works it was established that there are air bombs from the World War II period lying on the bottom, which may contain about 250 kg of explosive material! Specialists prepared a plan to neutralise the dangerous find, and the deadline for its implementation was set for Monday 13 August.

The task of the mine divers was to dig out the bombs as thoroughly as possible and then attach harnesses so that they could be picked up from the bottom and retrieved on the beach. Here they were intercepted by a demining patrol which, using a specialist vehicle, transported them to the firing range for neutralisation.

Divers are responsible for searching for mines in harbour basins and channels and for precise location and identification of mine-like objects detected by ships at sea. They operate mainly in sea areas up to the border of the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone.

Moreover, divers – miners of the Navy deal with the elimination of unexploded ordnance, unexploded bombs and underwater navigation obstacles at sea. They provide assistance to vessels in harbours and at sea, support rescue and search operations. They also protect moored and anchored ships against underwater diversion forces.

The Navy has two Diver-Miners Groups. They are part of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla and are stationed in the war ports of Świnoujście and Gdynia. In recent months, the Navy’s diver-miner groups, in addition to actions conducted at sea, have also been taking unexploded ordnance from the bottom of rivers near Bolesławiec, Głogów and Lake Ińsko.

The Navy’s sappers are stationed in two units: 8th Sapper Battalion in Dziwnów (8.FOW) and 43rd Sapper Battalion in Rozewie (3.FO). They participate in over 100 intervention actions along the Polish coast annually. The hazardous finds they dispose of come mainly from the World War II period and are found mainly in places where intense combat operations were conducted during the war.

Source: 8fow.wp.mil.pl