Ordnance

[kevink]

Hope this picture revives your memory. There should be three boxes of shells around the aft deck gun of this wreck. Most shops call this the Helmet Wreck. A few people know it as the Depth Charge Wreck.

The thing to consider with ordinance, especially in a place like Palau - - The US Navy has a program to remove munitions from these vessels. If it deemed too dangerous to remove it, then it stays.

A little Darwin primer for everyone that watched too many cartoons when they were youger.

 

[Kim]

My instructor gave me very dire warnings about explosives and munitions in wrecks - much along the line of what has already been said. However - one thing that he told me that was potentially even more dangerous than handeling stuff underwater was taking it out of the water and letting it dry out - does anyone have any comments on that aspect?

Kim.

p.s. I now notice that there are some comments about TNT in particular - I'm curious if it is only TNT (not that I in anyway wish to handle anything!!)

 

[MikeC]

My instructor gave me very dire warnings about explosives and munitions in wrecks - much along the line of what has already been said. However - one thing that he told me that was potentially even more dangerous than handeling stuff underwater was taking it out of the water and letting it dry out - does anyone have any comments on that aspect?

Kim.

p.s. I now notice that there are some comments about TNT in particular - I'm curious if it is only TNT (not that I in anyway wish to handle anything!!)

IF the casing is corroded, leave it alone.

Small arms ammo, anything .50 caliber and less, is not an issue for me. The ONLY possible problem is tracer ammo. What is a problem is all other ammo, 20mm and up. 20mm = 8/10". In most of the 20mm and 37mm anti-aircraft ammo is some amount of explosive. That becomes unstable with time and bad storage conditions. Bigger "gun" ammo is not to be fooled with. The same goes for bombs or depth charges.

"Small arms" means rifle and handgun ammo. .50cal = 1/2"