Royal Navy explodes World War Two mine

The 720kg German air-dropped ground mine, of a type which posed a significant threat to shipping in World War Two, came to light during a dredging programme by the harbour authorities, who alerted the Coastguard.

Divers from the Royal Navy's Devonport-based Southern Diving Unit One (SDU1) identified the weapon, and the five-man team made plans to detonate it under safe and controlled conditions in deeper water outside Portland Harbour.

The team raised the mine with a specially designed inflatable dive lifting-bag and towed it with their rigid inflatable boat to a safe position seaward of Portland Harbour's breakwater.

The mine was detonated in 25 metres of water within a safety zone organised by the Coastguard, Portland Harbour Authority and the Dorset marine police.

See a video of the explosion at Related Links.

Chief Petty Officer (Diver) Kas Kasapi said:

"It was a difficult operation, mainly because of the weather. We have been here for three days now, diving at night and through the day. At the end, though, it is a good result; there has been no damage and everybody is safe."

SDU1 carries out tasks around the clock to deal with explosive ordnance discovered in the coastal areas of the South West and Wales. The potentially hazardous ordnance is reported via the police and can vary from discarded emergency flares to military mines, grenades and bombs, often of World War II origin and occasionally earlier.

Apart from tasks such as those carried out by SDU1, Royal Navy divers also serve with their Army bomb disposal colleagues in Afghanistan, where they are involved in the vital work of dealing with deadly improvised explosive devices threatening coalition troops, Afghan forces and Afghan civilians.

See Related News to read more on Royal Navy divers in Afghanistan.