Weapons dating back to World War II era found in Samut Songkhram province

[webfact]

Weapons dating back to World War II era found in Samut Songkhram province

SAMUT SONGKHRAM, 4 July 2014 (NNT) - Cases of war weapons left discarded in remote areas have resurfaced again, as perpetrators fear heavy punishment under the military court.

Three anti-tank missiles dating back to the World War II era have been found dumped in a canal in Samut Songkhram province.

The warheads were first spotted by local shrimp farmers, who then immediately notified the Provincial Police and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.

So far only one missile was retrieved, and the other two were still left in the canal. The recovered missile measured 12 inches long with a diameter of 3 inches and had a blast radius of 300 meters.

Historically, the area was a target of bombings by WW II Allied Powers to expel Japanese soldiers.

Elsewhere in Rayong province, RPGs and several rounds of ammunition were found stashed in a rubber tree forest in the Map Ta Phut Subdistrict.

The findings also included two Aka rifles, tear gas, smoke bombs, 10 throwing grenades, and bullets. Authorities are now in the process of finding the owners so that they could be brought to justice.


-- NNT 2014-07-04

[zydeco]

World War II? What did they find, a panzerfaust?

[JoePai]

Hmmm bombing with anti-tank missiles the rascals, just not cricket !

[Payboy]

Can still use them - Japanese are still here.

[TimCM]

The Thai airforce still uses F5's from the 1950's, so maybe these can be used on them

[Kerryd]

300 meter blast radius !?!?!?!?!?

Holey Crapola Fat Man ! A modern 155mm High Explosive Artillery shell only has a lethal blast radius of 50 meters and a casualty radius of 100 meters ! And that is for a shell that is 155mm (obviously) in diameter, 603mm in length and 44 kgs weight (approx).

The 105mm rockets that the bad guys try to (and sometimes do) hit us with in Kandahar have a lethal radius of approx 12.5 meters, if they even detonate at all. Considering how many rockets they've fired at us over the years, it is actually quite surprising how few actually detonate, and, fortunately, how few casualties we've had from them.

(ps: "anti-tank" missiles don't generally have a "blast radius" as they are designed for armour penetration. Normally they have a "range" (300 meters is pretty generous for that era) and either the weight of the shaped-charge warhead, or the amount of armour it could be expected to penetrate. For example, the M-72 Anti-Tank weapon has a 66mm diameter rocket with an "effective" range of 200 meters and and "expected" armour penetration of 250mm or 9.8 inches.)

While the M-72 is considered to be an "anti-tank" weapon, these days it's more useful against armoured vehicles (APCs, LAVs, MRAPs), bunkers, hillbillies hiding behind concrete barriers and so on. Not so good against things like bank vaults though........

[billd766]

The Thai airforce still uses F5's from the 1950's, so maybe these can be used on them

That might be tricky as the first flight of an F5 was on 30 July 1959 and it didn't come into USAF service until 1962.

Royal Thai Air Force: F-5A retired. Now operates F-5B/E/F/T, F-5B/E slated for retirement in 2011–2012, to be replaced by 12-JAS 39 Gripen. The last F-5 fleet, upgraded F-5T Tigris and F-5F will continue to serve to 2015–2020.

Google is your friend.

[marsstar14]

300 meter blast radius !?!?!?!?!?

Holey Crapola Fat Man ! A modern 155mm High Explosive Artillery shell only has a lethal blast radius of 50 meters and a casualty radius of 100 meters ! And that is for a shell that is 155mm (obviously) in diameter, 603mm in length and 44 kgs weight (approx).

The 105mm rockets that the bad guys try to (and sometimes do) hit us with in Kandahar have a lethal radius of approx 12.5 meters, if they even detonate at all. Considering how many rockets they've fired at us over the years, it is actually quite surprising how few actually detonate, and, fortunately, how few casualties we've had from them.

(ps: "anti-tank" missiles don't generally have a "blast radius" as they are designed for armour penetration. Normally they have a "range" (300 meters is pretty generous for that era) and either the weight of the shaped-charge warhead, or the amount of armour it could be expected to penetrate. For example, the M-72 Anti-Tank weapon has a 66mm diameter rocket with an "effective" range of 200 meters and and "expected" armour penetration of 250mm or 9.8 inches.)

While the M-72 is considered to be an "anti-tank" weapon, these days it's more useful against armoured vehicles (APCs, LAVs, MRAPs), bunkers, hillbillies hiding behind concrete barriers and so on. Not so good against things like bank vaults though........

Hmm, I really don't know whether the 300 meter blast radius sounds as deadly as you've mentioned. Maybe they're just referring to the fact that anybody standing close to its vicinity within the 300 meter range is susceptible to receive harm in some way. Have a look at the image below though, which is pulled from the Thai news website Khaosod. It is the actual item that was found.

The Khaosod article and other Thai articles also mentioned that it had a "300 meter blast radius" as well and that it was a bomb. To me, it looks more like a missile. Doesn't look that powerful, right? It seems pretty old since the weapon was used back in WWII. However, I don't know how much damage it was capable of causing back then.

[bigbamboo]

They'll go nicely with that blimp and those old WW2 submarines. They may not be much use in battle but what an element of surprise!

Edited July 4, 2014 by bigbamboo

[Baerboxer]

The Thai airforce still uses F5's from the 1950's, so maybe these can be used on them

Yes, fire an anti-tank missile at a plane.

Edited July 4, 2014 by Baerboxer

[Catoni]

300 meter blast radius !?!?!?!?!?

Holey Crapola Fat Man ! A modern 155mm High Explosive Artillery shell only has a lethal blast radius of 50 meters and a casualty radius of 100 meters ! And that is for a shell that is 155mm (obviously) in diameter, 603mm in length and 44 kgs weight (approx).

The 105mm rockets that the bad guys try to (and sometimes do) hit us with in Kandahar have a lethal radius of approx 12.5 meters, if they even detonate at all. Considering how many rockets they've fired at us over the years, it is actually quite surprising how few actually detonate, and, fortunately, how few casualties we've had from them.

(ps: "anti-tank" missiles don't generally have a "blast radius" as they are designed for armour penetration. Normally they have a "range" (300 meters is pretty generous for that era) and either the weight of the shaped-charge warhead, or the amount of armour it could be expected to penetrate. For example, the M-72 Anti-Tank weapon has a 66mm diameter rocket with an "effective" range of 200 meters and and "expected" armour penetration of 250mm or 9.8 inches.)

While the M-72 is considered to be an "anti-tank" weapon, these days it's more useful against armoured vehicles (APCs, LAVs, MRAPs), bunkers, hillbillies hiding behind concrete barriers and so on. Not so good against things like bank vaults though........

Hmm, I really don't know whether the 300 meter blast radius sounds as deadly as you've mentioned. Maybe they're just referring to the fact that anybody standing close to its vicinity within the 300 meter range is susceptible to receive harm in some way. Have a look at the image below though, which is pulled from the Thai news website Khaosod. It is the actual item that was found.

The Khaosod article and other Thai articles also mentioned that it had a "300 meter blast radius" as well and that it was a bomb. To me, it looks more like a missile. Doesn't look that powerful, right? It seems pretty old since the weapon was used back in WWII. However, I don't know how much damage it was capable of causing back then

World War II ? ? It can still kill. Every year someplace in Europe somebody gets killed from World War II munitions.... and World War I munitions....

And just the last couple years or so... a guy in the U.S. was trying to clean up a dug up cannonball or mortar ball from the U.S. Civil War (Early 1860's) when it exploded killing him and damaging a few houses in the area...... you never know..... best not to tempt fate....

[Overcome]

Revisionist history, although the Japanese remain the all time champions by a wide margin, is alive and well in Thailand. Aside from the obvious disconnect between aerial bombing and the discovery of an anti tank missile, it is interesting to note that the allied bombing of Thai territory is attributed to the campaign to expel the Japanese military from the country which remains proud to have never been colonized by a foreign power.

Heeeey wait a minute ... How could this 'never been subjected to colonization or subjected to the control by a foreign power' reconcile with the presence of the Japanese in WW2?

Perhaps a more truthful, albeit unpalatable explanation of the allied bombing of Thailand in WW2 would be that military and strategic targets in Thailand, as an ally of Japan and member of the Axis powers in WW2 until late 1945, were routinely bombed by the enemy forces of the allies including Great Britain and the USA.

The Japanese could not have overrun the Malay Peninsula leading to the capture of Singapore without the active support of their Thai compatriots. And to be sure, the atrocities of the Burma Railroad and rows of graved of young Dutch, British, Australian and other nationalities resulting from the Japanese disdain for the value of human life would - which took place in the heart of Thailand half a day's drive from Bangkok - would not have taken place without Thai government complicity.

[TimCM]

The Thai airforce still uses F5's from the 1950's, so maybe these can be used on them

That might be tricky as the first flight of an F5 was on 30 July 1959 and it didn't come into USAF service until 1962.

Royal Thai Air Force: F-5A retired. Now operates F-5B/E/F/T, F-5B/E slated for retirement in 2011–2012, to be replaced by 12-JAS 39 Gripen. The last F-5 fleet, upgraded F-5T Tigris and F-5F will continue to serve to 2015–2020.

Google is your friend.

So as I said, still in use.

Note that I used an 's' designating many models F-5A/B/C/D etc

Yep, google is good, but if you don't understand the content, useless

[TimCM]

The Thai airforce still uses F5's from the 1950's, so maybe these can be used on them

Yes, fire an anti-tank missile at a plane.

From a plane

[TimCM]

Revisionist history, although the Japanese remain the all time champions by a wide margin, is alive and well in Thailand. Aside from the obvious disconnect between aerial bombing and the discovery of an anti tank missile, it is interesting to note that the allied bombing of Thai territory is attributed to the campaign to expel the Japanese military from the country which remains proud to have never been colonized by a foreign power.

Heeeey wait a minute ... How could this 'never been subjected to colonization or subjected to the control by a foreign power' reconcile with the presence of the Japanese in WW2?

Perhaps a more truthful, albeit unpalatable explanation of the allied bombing of Thailand in WW2 would be that military and strategic targets in Thailand, as an ally of Japan and member of the Axis powers in WW2 until late 1945, were routinely bombed by the enemy forces of the allies including Great Britain and the USA.

The Japanese could not have overrun the Malay Peninsula leading to the capture of Singapore without the active support of their Thai compatriots. And to be sure, the atrocities of the Burma Railroad and rows of graved of young Dutch, British, Australian and other nationalities resulting from the Japanese disdain for the value of human life would - which took place in the heart of Thailand half a day's drive from Bangkok - would not have taken place without Thai government complicity.

You no understand

Japan was crushed by the greatest fighters in the world when they tried to invade Thailand. Afterwards, the Thai's,being such caring people and feeling sorry for their vanquished foes, allowed the Japanese to come and build a railway from Burma using foreign slave labour.This has been useful for setting a precedent for the fishing industry to follow later on.

So as you can see, they never lost or were occupied by a foreign power. And as you can see, the Japanese are still here,investing in industry. Any other conclusion is just jealousy of inferior nations

[Rimbuman]

Can still use them - Japanese are still here.

Blow them too smithereens to be more correct "sashimi".

[BSJ]

Looks like a round for a light artillery cannon like Type 92.

Definitely not an anti-tank round. The Americans and the Germans had different style of round for armour piercing....and the Japanese I would guess. Something like the pictured,

or using a shoulder fired weapon which had a round with a projection on the front.

American Bazooka.

Japanese Type 4 70mm AT Rocket Launcher

[JAG]

If it has a blast area of 300m, then shouldn't it have a few more tyres around it to make it safe?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[bassman]

Folks my best guess is that this is not a 3 inch anti-tank round (not missile as AT missiles did not exist in WW2).

without hands on I would say that this is the top cannister section with fuze of an 81mm illumination round with a powder train time fuze attached. The tail section is missing most probably from ejection of the candle/parachute as designed. About the only hazard here is DDT (don't drop on toe). This lands back on the ground after being fired empty.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:81mm_mortar_rounds.png

For key ID notice the break on the fuze between the top and lower section, this break enables the mortar crew to set the timing ring prior to launching the mortar.

300 feet (not meters) has been the old standard for minimum safe distance for all ordnance disposal up to 27 pounds explosive weight. Maybe? feet and meters were just confused.

[rametindallas]

[The junta announced that anyone who has in their possession war weapons, ammunition for war weapons or explosives, must surrender them to authorities by June 25, 2014or they will be prosecuted. This is part of the post-coup sweep to mop up caches of weapons and bombs to be used for the Red Shirt's promised civil war. Even Pheu Thai Party officials announced on Red Shirt stages that 10 million guns had been amassed by government supporters to ensure Pheu Thai initiatives were not halted. After the coup, loads of illegal weapons were found hidden in forest areas to avoid having them confiscated by the military.]

[Baerboxer]

The Thai airforce still uses F5's from the 1950's, so maybe these can be used on them

Yes, fire an anti-tank missile at a plane.

From a plane

What lean out the window and fire it?

Know a lot about arms then do you?

Edited July 5, 2014 by Baerboxer

[AGareth2]

probably don't work

antiques

put them on ebay

[Robby nz]

probably don't work

antiques

put them on ebay

"Probably don't work"

A prospective candidate for the Darwin awards.

[h90]

The Thai airforce still uses F5's from the 1950's, so maybe these can be used on them

Yes, fire an anti-tank missile at a plane.

It will work.....if the airplane stands still.....