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During the inspection of the waterway in the vicinity of Westerplatte, the Maritime Office staff located a World War II mine. The mine containing one ton of TNT was secured by sailors from the 13th minesweeper division, who first lifted the mine from the bottom and then towed it into the Gdansk Bay, where the danger was neutralized by a controlled burning of the explosive charge.
The found shipment is a 2.5-metre-long German GC mine filled with hexanite (a mixture of 40% hexyl and 60% TNT) and is a remnant of World War II. The dangerous find was located at the mouth of the Vistula River at a depth of 12.5 metres. What is most surprising is the fact that the mine had been lying in the water undiscovered for about 70 years, in the immediate vicinity of such strategic places as the Wisłoujście Fortress, Westerplatte and Nowy Port.
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Posted by 13 Admiral Fleet Andrzej Karweta minesweeper squadron on 25 January 2016
In order to carry out an effective mine disposal operation, a number of steps had to be taken before the mine could be towed and neutralised using the “platoon” system. First, divers-miners from the 13th Admiral Fleet Andrzej Karweta minesweeping squadron had to go down to the bottom in the direct vicinity of the cargo and dig it out, so that the whole thing could be wrapped with special strips and lifted 2 meters above the bottom level with the help of idroids (special balloons designed for lifting from the bottom and towing of heavy objects). The mine was then placed back on the bottom about 7 miles from the shore as planned.
“This time, however, we will not detonate it. We will use the ‘Pluton’ system, which burns through the hull of the mine and then detonates the explosive inside. These types of devices are used, for example, when destroying dangerous finds in harbours. – We want to test the system once again in case that one day we will not be able to tow a similar mine to the high seas for various reasons,” Lieutenant Commander Sikora explained to the Polska Zbrojna web portal.
The main act of the whole operation was carried out on Monday and went according to plan. After the mine was successfully neutralised, normal traffic in New Port and the vicinity of Westerplatte was restored. The activities of the mine divers and sailors from the 13th minesweeper Squadron were coordinated by the Chief of Marine Engineering of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla.
Source: polska-zbrojna.pl, Photo: 13th Minesweeper Squadron and 8fow.wp.mil.pl
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