A construction worker was wounded after a 50kilo Amercan phosphor bomb from WW2 exploded at Phillipebourg, Mosselle. The article is in Fench , so click on your translate option. http://orleans.ville.orange.fr/actu/region/moselle-une-bombe-au-phosphore-de-la-seconde-guerre-mondiale-explose-un-blesse-leger-87840.html Also note that it exploded due to a change of temperature. The firemen suggest to cover it with earth until the mining squat arrives, rather than manipulate it . Fortunately the many was only lightly wounded by a piece of the shell.
Strange event after all these years but given the tonnage dropped I guess not. I am pretty amazed that a phosphorus bomb was still chemically active. I suppose the casing kept it so. Good to hear that no serious injuries resulted. It was a pretty gruesome weapon. I have a 3" Confederate projectile I found as a teen, brass sabot intact, and I believe to be a solid bolt. I should have the specific gravity checked. More than a few people have been injured drilling into Civil War projectiles to empty them, forgetting that frilling causes heat. Thanks, Skipper, interesting post.
Pardon my french, but did it say if it was a bomb, or an artillery round? Did they use phosphorus air bombs- for smoke or fire? Just asking.
Probably an M47A1 which contained 93lb of white phosphorous ( this bomb was mainly used prior to June 1944 ).
Hi all, Here you have others article (newspapers) with pictures : http://www.republicain-lorrain.fr/actualite/2014/08/07/une-bombe-au-phosphore-explose-un-ouvrier-blesse http://www.francebleu.fr/faits-divers/un-blesse-leger-apres-l-explosion-d-un-obus-de-la-2e-guerre-mondiale-dans-le-village-mosellan-de-phi-1695071 http://www.dna.fr/actualite/2014/08/07/une-bombe-au-phosphore-de-la-seconde-guerre-mondiale-explose And here more pictures and a vidéo from the mayor from Philippsbourg : http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/lorraine/2014/08/07/moselle-est-un-obus-au-phosphore-explose-philippsbourg-529052.html#xtor=RSS-3-[faitsdivers] Amicalement, Eric