Old but deadly 500-pound World War II bomb found in Chonburi

[webfact]

Another old but deadly bomb found in Chonburi



BANGKOK: -- Another bomb, believed to be an old 500-pound bomb dropped by plane during the World War II, was retrieved from a pond inside the Hemaraj industrial estate in Chonburi province.

The bomb was first spotted by a villager at the pond near a factory inside the industrial estate at about 3 p.m.

Police were alerted and came to the scene along with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit in Plaeng Yao district.

Initial inspection by EOD police revealed the World War II bomb is about 30 centimeters wide and 1.2 meters long and weighs about 500 pounds.

The bomb is still live and has a destructive power of up to 500 meter.

It is the same type of bomb that exploded at a scrap shop in Bangkok and killed eight people.

EOD unit chief Pol Lt-Col Amnart Palafaifa said his unit has no efficient equipment to retrieve this live bomb and has contacted the Air Force to send its EOD to help retrieve the bomb from the pond for demolition.

So far four 500-pound bombs of World War II had been discovered during the past 20 years. The finding in Chonburi is the fifth bomb to be discovered.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/another-old-deadly-bomb-found-chonburi/


-- Thai PBS 2014-04-04

[HeavyDrinker]

Caption Competition time

"Pass me that hammer Somchai"...

[bangkokheat]

i certainly hope they are wearing safety vests in case the bomb goes off

[MaxLee]

You mean, excavated to show the world "UuuuOOOH, WOW, we found WW2 bombs, and we know how to handle them.... KABOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!

Run for your lives, people in Chonburi, if it's worth your lives...

[ratcatcher]

Caption Competition time

"Pass me that hammer Somchai"...

Be reasonable HD, they are merely estimating its scrap value. Got to move it to a cutting shop first.

[fakename]

Who in the hell, is bombing Thailand??

[ezzra]

Maybe CAPO want to use this bomb as part of their " war room "......

[Khun Loong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Who in the hell, is bombing Thailand??

Hmmmm not really into history or reading that much Mr Fakename?

[AleG]

Seven years in Thailand and never heard of WWII bombs being found, now 4 in a week in widely separated places, what the heck?

[Tatsujin]

SAFETY TIPS FOR DEALING WITH EXPLOSIVES:

1. Run
2. Don't attempt to move the explosives
3. Check for radiation (from a case a few years back)
4. Don't use cutting torches on the casing
5. Don't use angle grinders on the casing
6. Don't do anything with it except call EOD
7. Use common sense
8. Ignore 1-7 if the thought of making a very small amount of cash outweighs your survival instinct and the lives of yourself and others around you

[Seastallion]

"So far four 500-pound bombs of World War II had been discovered during the past 20 years. The finding in Chonburi is the fifth bomb to be discovered."

Mai kao jai.

Strange that of the 4 or 5 in 20 years, 2 have been uneartherd in the last week.

[Scotswahay]

Seven years in Thailand and never heard of WWII bombs being found, now 4 in a week in widely separated places, what the heck?

So far four 500-pound bombs of World War II had been discovered during the past 20 years. The finding in Chonburi is the fifth bomb to be discovered.

Perhaps 3 were found before you arrived?

[Tywais]

[Tatsujin]

Who in the hell, is bombing Thailand??

You have the same attitude as a lot of Thai's (i.e. what was the 2nd world war?) when it comes to that period of time and their involvement in it, here's a quick history lesson (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Allied bombing raids on the Thai capital city of Bangkok began even before Thailand had declared war, since the Empire of Japan was using the country as a staging area for its invasions of both Malaya and Burma, with the agreement of the Thai government after Japan's successful invasion of the southeast Asian country. The first raid came on January 7, 1942, when Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft flying fromRangoon, attacked military targets in the city.[1][2] The American Volunteer Group, together with seven No. 113 Squadron RAF and three No. 45 Squadron RAF Blenheim bombers, were involved in the first raid.[3] No. 113 Squadron's planes were piloted byNo. 60 Squadron's air crew. The second night raid was carried out with 8 Blenheims on 24-25 January and included No. 60 Squadron RAF aircrew.[4] A final raid was made three days later by four Blenheims. This was the last raid by Blenheims until May or June 1945.[citation needed]

After Rangoon fell to the Japanese on March 7, heavy bombers, such as RAF and American Tenth Air Force B-24s, based in India and China, attacked Thailand.[5][6]

The raids were carried out because Bangkok by then was a command centre for the Japanese on the South East Asian front. RAF and USAAF bombers carried out the raids as part of thePacific campaigns. The bombers targeted installations useful to the occupying Japanese military, but the raids were also intended to pressure the government of Thai military strongman Plaek Pibulsongkram to abandon his unpopular alliance with Imperial Japan. The major targets were the newly completed Port of Bangkok and the Thai railway system. Raids by RAF, USAAF, and other Allied air forces continued with growing intensity from India and, after the liberation of Rangoon on May 3, 1945, from Rangoon up until the end of the war in August that year. Blenheim bombers and Mustangs operated out of Rangoon against Bangkok in this later phase of the bombing.

[JesseFrank]

Seven years in Thailand and never heard of WWII bombs being found, now 4 in a week in widely separated places, what the heck?

Most people who live in Thailand all their life have never heard of WWII .

[Woodsie888]

Caption Competition time

"Pass me that hammer Somchai"...

"Get me an oxy torch Somchai, so that we can cut it into more manageable pieces and take it to the scrap yard"

[Luk Mhee]

SAFETY TIPS FOR DEALING WITH EXPLOSIVES:

1. Run
2. Don't attempt to move the explosives
3. Check for radiation (from a case a few years back)
4. Don't use cutting torches on the casing
5. Don't use angle grinders on the casing
6. Don't do anything with it except call EOD
7. Use common sense
8. Ignore 1-7 if the thought of making a very small amount of cash outweighs your survival instinct and the lives of yourself and others around you

What common sense? Where can we find it? perhaps from our comic books

Edited April 4, 2014 by Luk Mhee

[BudRight]

Old but deadly. That describes me perfectly.

Edited April 4, 2014 by BudRight

[seabass69]

Caption Competition time

"Pass me that hammer Somchai"...

"Should get a few baht for this one...where's that scrapyard again?"

[jimbeam1]

Caption Competition time

"Pass me that hammer Somchai"...

"Get me an oxy torch Somchai, so that we can cut it into more manageable pieces and take it to the scrap yard"

Hey Somchai, we are becoming the hub for WW2 500lb bombs

Jb1

[sunshine51]

[Bkungbank]

This time don't try to cut it open to see the content inside for 500 pounds the whole village will gone in second

[worgeordie]

Why no old tyres around it,they always put tyres around

unexploded ordnance,waste of time in my opinion,but

they must feel it gives some protection.

regards Worgeordie

[smedly]

The guys that attempted and failed to launch themselves into orbit on a scooter should have tried one of these - if at first you don't .......lol

[steveb47]

Seven years in Thailand and never heard of WWII bombs being found, now 4 in a week in widely separated places, what the heck?

Most people who live in Thailand all their life have never heard of WWII .

Good point- my Thai GF just gave me that look when I told her the then Thai govt was moved to Phetchabun (her home) during WW2. Her grandmother still lives there. By that look I mean one of sheer incomprehension!!!

It's as if WW2 never happened.

But in a weird sort of way it's one of the things I like about Thailand.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[pisico]

i certainly hope they are wearing safety vests in case the bomb goes off

Why?

If they have their amulets on them, nothing to worry about.

[jsflynn603]

i certainly hope they are wearing safety vests in case the bomb goes off

You're kidding....I hope.... You could be encased in 2" of steel plate and if within 100' you'd be toast.

I'm surprised there haven't been more found. The B-29 long range mission was likely full of 500 lb bombs. 21 never made it and turned back, 42 never made it back because they ran out of fuel. The target was obscured and bombs were probably dropped wherever it was convenient--when one is low on fuel a load of 500lb bombs is just dead weight--so drop 'em.

From Wikipedia:

First B-29 Superfortress combat mission

B-29 Superfortress

In its first combat mission, the American B-29 Superfortress was used by the XX Bomber Command's 58th Air Division to strike targets in Bangkok, before it was deployed against the Japanese home islands.^[7] The decision for using the B-29s to bomb Bangkok dated back to 1943 and was mentioned in a communique between US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in which Roosevelt suggested that they be used to bomb the port and railways.^[8]

On 5 June 1944, 98 B-29s led by the 58th's commander, General LaVerne Saunders, flew out from airfields in India to attack the Makasan railway yards in Bangkok. The raid was the longest distance mission to that date in the war. It was a 2,261-mile round trip. Only 77 of the B-29s made it to Bangkok, with 21 having had to return home because of various engine problems. Arriving at the Thai capital at about 11:00 am, the bombers found the target obscured by bad weather which in turn caused an element of confusion in the attack. The B-29s were meant to have dropped their bombs from between 22–25,000 feet altitude but instead did so from between 17–27,000 feet. Only 18 bombs hit their intended targets. The others destroyed a Japanese military hospital and damaged the Japanese secret police headquarters. On the return leg, 42 B-29s had to divert to other airfields because of a lack of fuel and five crashed on landing, although none were lost to enemy fire. Further raids were carried out by the Superfortresses against strategic targets in Bangkok.^[9]

[pisico]

Seven years in Thailand and never heard of WWII bombs being found, now 4 in a week in widely separated places, what the heck?

Most people who live in Thailand all their life have never heard of WWII .

Good point- my Thai GF just gave me that look when I told her the then Thai govt was moved to Phetchabun (her home) during WW2. Her grandmother still lives there. By that look I mean one of sheer incomprehension!!!

It's as if WW2 never happened.

But in a weird sort of way it's one of the things I like about Thailand.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Let's see how you like it when Thailand declares war to USA and the UK again.

That is one of the things I am leery of about Thailand.

Edited April 4, 2014 by pisico

[smedly]

The guys that attempted and failed to launch themselves into orbit on a scooter should have tried one of these - if at first you don't .......lol

[GunterChiangMai]

Who in the hell, is bombing Thailand??

You have the same attitude as a lot of Thai's (i.e. what was the 2nd world war?) when it comes to that period of time and their involvement in it, here's a quick history lesson (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Allied bombing raids on the Thai capital city of Bangkok began even before Thailand had declared war, since the Empire of Japan was using the country as a staging area for its invasions of both Malaya and Burma, with the agreement of the Thai government after Japan's successful invasion of the southeast Asian country. The first raid came on January 7, 1942, when Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft flying fromRangoon, attacked military targets in the city.[1][2] The American Volunteer Group, together with seven No. 113 Squadron RAF and three No. 45 Squadron RAF Blenheim bombers, were involved in the first raid.[3] No. 113 Squadron's planes were piloted byNo. 60 Squadron's air crew. The second night raid was carried out with 8 Blenheims on 24-25 January and included No. 60 Squadron RAF aircrew.[4] A final raid was made three days later by four Blenheims. This was the last raid by Blenheims until May or June 1945.[citation needed]

After Rangoon fell to the Japanese on March 7, heavy bombers, such as RAF and American Tenth Air Force B-24s, based in India and China, attacked Thailand.[5][6]

The raids were carried out because Bangkok by then was a command centre for the Japanese on the South East Asian front. RAF and USAAF bombers carried out the raids as part of thePacific campaigns. The bombers targeted installations useful to the occupying Japanese military, but the raids were also intended to pressure the government of Thai military strongman Plaek Pibulsongkram to abandon his unpopular alliance with Imperial Japan. The major targets were the newly completed Port of Bangkok and the Thai railway system. Raids by RAF, USAAF, and other Allied air forces continued with growing intensity from India and, after the liberation of Rangoon on May 3, 1945, from Rangoon up until the end of the war in August that year. Blenheim bombers and Mustangs operated out of Rangoon against Bangkok in this later phase of the bombing.

Allied War Crimes.

BANZAI!!!!!!