SueMermaid
Guest
*sigh* Now THAT'S a story.
That's a dive location I thought only existed in my dreams.
That's a dive location I thought only existed in my dreams.
Things you've found under water
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Thomcmdchief
Guest
I was diving Crete, with a United Nations Hydrogeology team, in a freshwater spring called El Miros, west of Iraklion. The spring was located maybe twenty feet above sea level, roughly a half mile or so from the Aegean. Steep hills and cliffs surrounded the spring on three sides, with a paved road about on a cliff about 200 feet above the spring. Because of proximity of the ocean, salt water was mixing with the fresh water, making it unfit for drinking. The UN had been asked to investigate and come up with a plan to divert the freshwater flowing our of the spring's source, a huge underground cave system with an entrance at around 130 feet. The hope was the water could be used for irrigation and drinking which because of the Island's climate, was a real issue.
Seems a pretty straightforward assignment, however, towards the end of the German occupation of Crete during WWII, the Germans chose to get rid of some excess ammunition so the Cretans couldn't use it against them. Several trucks, full of live ammo, were driven off the road above, and into the spring, spilling mortars, artilliary shells, land mines, grenades and ammo cans full of bullets all over a steep wall of the spring, much of it resting on a rock ledge, directly over the mouth of the cave. Tons of live ammo sat right above the area we needed to survey.
We were careful and did what we needed to do over several days and numerous dives. On occasion, I would ascend along the steep wall and ledge, kind of checking out the ammo, and what was left of the trucks. Finally, on the last dive, I thought, how about a souvenir. I spotted an ammo can that had the paint erroded off, and was silver metal. It had the RLM stamp, eagle and swastika. I grabbed it and up I went. I drained it, and inside was a full belt of machine gun ammo. Kind of cool, I thought. I tossed it in the trunk, along with my dive gear, and headed to my home. I cleaned my gear, rinsed the ammo and can, and set it out on the patio to dry. I actually forgot about it for a couple of weeks.
I know from experience this stuff is dangerous, and all along had decided to pull the bullets, dump the powder, and safe the primers. So one rainy day, I decided to get my bullet puller and start dumping the powder. Actually it wasn't a powder, but rather nitrocellulose which looked like little tiny squares of film. I figured the kitchen was a great place to work, and proceeded to pull the bullets out of the brass, dumping the nitrocellulose into a large ashtray. Those were in the days when I smoked. That was my almost, fatal mistake, not the smoking, but when a buddy of mine knocked on my front door, out of habit, I placed my lit cigarette in the ashtray, which was now full of powder. Can you say, "we have ignition, we have liftoff!"
My eyebrows have returned, and although I had to wait a week or so, new glass was found for the kitchen window. I also confirmed that machine gun bullets usually don't go off spontaneously in a flash explosion.
I now have to ask myself, what the H___ I was thinking about! How would I even attempt to bring my souvenir back to the States???
I eventually turned the whole thing over to a local dive club, the Aegean Sea Urchins. What they ended up doing with I don't have a clue.
Seems a pretty straightforward assignment, however, towards the end of the German occupation of Crete during WWII, the Germans chose to get rid of some excess ammunition so the Cretans couldn't use it against them. Several trucks, full of live ammo, were driven off the road above, and into the spring, spilling mortars, artilliary shells, land mines, grenades and ammo cans full of bullets all over a steep wall of the spring, much of it resting on a rock ledge, directly over the mouth of the cave. Tons of live ammo sat right above the area we needed to survey.
We were careful and did what we needed to do over several days and numerous dives. On occasion, I would ascend along the steep wall and ledge, kind of checking out the ammo, and what was left of the trucks. Finally, on the last dive, I thought, how about a souvenir. I spotted an ammo can that had the paint erroded off, and was silver metal. It had the RLM stamp, eagle and swastika. I grabbed it and up I went. I drained it, and inside was a full belt of machine gun ammo. Kind of cool, I thought. I tossed it in the trunk, along with my dive gear, and headed to my home. I cleaned my gear, rinsed the ammo and can, and set it out on the patio to dry. I actually forgot about it for a couple of weeks.
I know from experience this stuff is dangerous, and all along had decided to pull the bullets, dump the powder, and safe the primers. So one rainy day, I decided to get my bullet puller and start dumping the powder. Actually it wasn't a powder, but rather nitrocellulose which looked like little tiny squares of film. I figured the kitchen was a great place to work, and proceeded to pull the bullets out of the brass, dumping the nitrocellulose into a large ashtray. Those were in the days when I smoked. That was my almost, fatal mistake, not the smoking, but when a buddy of mine knocked on my front door, out of habit, I placed my lit cigarette in the ashtray, which was now full of powder. Can you say, "we have ignition, we have liftoff!"
My eyebrows have returned, and although I had to wait a week or so, new glass was found for the kitchen window. I also confirmed that machine gun bullets usually don't go off spontaneously in a flash explosion.
I now have to ask myself, what the H___ I was thinking about! How would I even attempt to bring my souvenir back to the States???
I eventually turned the whole thing over to a local dive club, the Aegean Sea Urchins. What they ended up doing with I don't have a clue.
Firebrand
Contributor
Great story, you've got some big brass ones for dealing with old ammo. I'm an Ordnance Officer in the Army (Not EOD - explosive ordnance disposal - though) and I wouldn't touch the stuff. Glad to see you weren't seriously harmed, and your eyebrows have returned. Nice read.
Thomcmdchief
Guest
Firebrand:
Thanks. I commanded an EOD outfit in Germany in the late 80's and retired in '92 after Desert Storm.
Crete was a Security Service Base (spooks) when I was stationed there 69-72. The amount of UXO scattered around the island was incredible. In fact, when the base was built in the 50's, the method of choice for EOD was having herds of sheep walk the site, and if something blew, oh well, what's the cost of one sheep?
I worked with the Greek UDT for three years there (all two of them), and had the pleasure (not) of watching them fish with .5lb tins of TNT, det cord and detonators! What a blast, pardon the pun. I helped them with the UXO and they let us dive. Quite the deal.
If anyone wants to hear about it, I've got another story about an ancient amphorae wreck between the islands of Naxos and Paros. Anyone ever swim through the neck of an amphorae wearing twin 72's?
In guam we found a pallet of 155 projos in 100 feet of water in Apra Harbor. We contacted Navy EOD who promptly told us "they've been lieing there for 60 years. If you don't screw with them they'll be there for a number of more years." Go figure.....
Nay
Contributor
Please post a thread with the story in the Scuba Tales section (or wherever you want, I'm not the boss of you) and let us know. I'd love to hear it.Thomcmdchief:
Thomcmdchief
Guest
Nay,
Will do when I have a couple of minutes. I guess I can post it on SCUBA tales, but it was something I found while diving.
Will do when I have a couple of minutes. I guess I can post it on SCUBA tales, but it was something I found while diving.
ScubaNorth
Guest
Curt Bowen:
Makes my old bottles seem mundane.
my list
Peace
Solitude
good friends
P
Diver Girl 1
Registered
My next door neighbor's friend found a woman's body that was weighed down in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I don't have all of the details, but apparently, they believe that the husband did it.
Chad_Ordelheide
Guest
Tom Smedley:
To in Guam!!! Wish you were here right now. I might have you take me treasure hunting!! Hope the diving is as good in Alabama. I'm heading to Palau next month!!
As far as finding things...so far I'm limited to
Vintage Milk Bottle
A Mag light that still worked after who knows how long!!
Happy Hunting
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