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Post by skyhawkdon on Jan 25, 2011 18:39:31 GMT 12
www.stuff.co.nz/national/4577959/Fishermen-net-historic-bombThe army's bomb disposal unit is on its way to Port Chalmers, Dunedin, after two fishermen dragged up what appeared to be a historic bomb this morning. The men pulled the bomb-like object from the water about three kilometres northeast of Taiaroa Head, at the entrance to the Otago Harbour, after it got lodged in their net while they were trawling. They then brought the bomb, which is about half a metre in length with fins at its end, back to the Carey's Bay wharf about 10am. Senior Sergeant Bruce Ross said police had put cordons up approximately 100m in each direction. Traffic travelling through the Carey's Bay area is being diverted via Slant St, Ajax Road, Church St, William St, Wilmott St and back on to the main Aramoana Road. The diversion will remain in place until the bomb is rendered safe, Ross said. The bomb disposal unit is travelling down from Christchurch to examine the bomb and is expected to arrive around 5pm.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jan 25, 2011 18:44:56 GMT 12
From the footage shown on TV 3 News it looked very much like a Skyhawk BDU-33 lo-drag practice bomb! Off Dunedin would be an unusual place to find one of those I would have thought! Barnsey - was it you dumping Skyhawk bits in the ocean again?  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2011 19:39:48 GMT 12
Whoops, I just posted a similar article in the General Board as I wasn't sure what era it was from. The only aircraft ever based at Taieri that carried bombs would have been the No. 3 (GR) Squadron Baffins and Vincents I think. I'm not sure if they had a bomb range there though so maybe it is a modern bomb from some sort of deployment.
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Post by phil on Jan 25, 2011 19:56:56 GMT 12
'army ' bomb disposal team... almost as bad as 'army helicopters'.
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Post by shorty on Jan 25, 2011 20:14:50 GMT 12
Whoops, I just posted a similar article in the General Board as I wasn't sure what era it was from. The only aircraft ever based at Taieri that carried bombs would have been the No. 3 (GR) Squadron Baffins and Vincents I think. I'm not sure if they had a bomb range there though so maybe it is a modern bomb from some sort of deployment. No Dave, not so. Harvards and Mustangs of 4 TAF Squadron could have carried bombs also (after all it's only a 25lb practice bomb.). They could also have been using a splash target so wouldn't need a bombing range, |
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jan 25, 2011 20:20:15 GMT 12
The bomb was a modern one - it still had traces of blue on it and the fins hadn't rusted away. The Skyhawks sank a burnt out fishing boat off Dunedin in the 1990s, so maybe they threw a few practice bombs at it first before using the real stuff to sink it? That and Shorty's explanation (a Navy towed splash target) is the most logical explanation for it being there.
The funniest thing I ever saw the Armourers use practice bombs for was as 'stones' in a hangi at Ohakea for a visiting Aussie F-18 Squadron. You should have seen their faces as the hangi was dug up and the bombs were pulled out smoking hot!!! ;D
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Post by shorty on Jan 25, 2011 20:24:16 GMT 12
Practice bombs used by Canberras and Vampires were blue also.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2011 20:34:08 GMT 12
Thanks Shorty, I forgot about the TAF.
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Post by corsair67 on Jan 26, 2011 0:09:08 GMT 12
So, they trawled up a bomb, and then thought it would be a good idea to bring it back to the wharf?   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 26, 2011 0:36:39 GMT 12
Just being tidy kiwis. ;D
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Post by silverfox on Jan 26, 2011 6:25:39 GMT 12
Whoops, I just posted a similar article in the General Board as I wasn't sure what era it was from. The only aircraft ever based at Taieri that carried bombs would have been the No. 3 (GR) Squadron Baffins and Vincents I think. I'm not sure if they had a bomb range there though so maybe it is a modern bomb from some sort of deployment. Whilst nothing to do with the modern bomb found, a number(three) Oxfords of 1 SFTS were deployed to Taieri on 19th June 1940 to patrol Taiaroa Heads after the sinking of the RMS Naiagra off Whangarai by mines laid by the German raider Orion. The RNZN believed that the Orion had headed further south after laying the mones and both Lyttleton and Dunedin were likely targets. One aircraft, NZ257, which as a MK I was lost in a take off crash on 21st June 1940, with the pilot killed and two crew injured. The subsequent Board of Inquiry found that icing and the weight of the bomb load(250lb) plus the short runway were all contributing factors. As I say nothing to do with the bomb found but another type you can add to the 'Aircraft carrying bombs out of Taieri' list. |
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