Aerial bomb found in chemical factory in Czechia

A World War II aerial bomb weighing 250 kg was found on the premises of a chemical factory in north-west of Czech Republic.

This happened 10 days ago in the area belonging to chemical factory in Litvínov. The town of Litvínov in the northwest of the Czech Republic was bombed by the Allies 17 times during the Second World War because it was home to a factory producing synthetic gasoline for Nazi Germany. At that time territory of former Czechoslovakia was under the Nazi rule as Protectorate Böhmen und Mähren. 

From Wikipedia:

Litvínov (Czech pronunciation: [ˈlɪtviːnof]; German: Leutensdorf) is a town in Most District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. It is known as an industrial centre. The town was first mentioned already in 1352.
The largest oil refinery in the Czech Republic (owned by Orlen Unipetrol) is located there.
 

The bomb had a long-lasting chemical fuse with a 144-hour delay in detonation. Since it was not possible to determine whether the igniter was still active, it was necessary to wait this entire time. After the bomb failed to detonate spontaneously, a controlled detonation was decided.

Details of the bomb construction: from Czech web
Each aerial bomb has its own initiator, that is, a bomb igniter. We most often come across mechanical types that are screwed in after evaluation.

The danger of a spontaneous bomb explosion near Litvínov has passed. Pyrotechnicians are preparing for the blast.

But this type of lighter is long-term chemical. It is unstable and has a lock against unscrewing, so we cannot afford to unscrew it. This design element is based on a glass ampoule containing acetone, which shatters on impact and etches the celluloid ring that holds the firing pin. The celluloid ring then loses its strength and the firing pin is thrown towards the detonator and the entire aerial bomb is initiated.

When fired, you must correct for the pressure wave above the Earth's surface, the shrapnel effect, building debris, and the seismic wave. Can sandbags do it all?
Yes, they can, says an expert. They are big, as we call the so-called big bands, each with a volume of one cubic meter.

Fireman preparing the place for controled detonation of the bomb
The launch was  carried out by pyrotechnicians in an armored vehicle

There were found a lot of bombs from WWII on Czech territory but this case is exceptional. Czech experts consulted with experts in military history and specialists from Germany, who have the most experience with bombs from the Second World War.

Before the planned detonation there was set a 2 kms safety perimeter around the area of the factory. The factory stopped of course all production and 100 thousand people living in the neighbouring area were warned.

Fortunately on 30th August the controlled detonation went on without big problems. But the costs and effort of police and all the experts are enormous.

Pray with me please for NO WARS anymore, no bombs, no stupid weapons which survive the wars

and are endangering people for long time.

Thanks for reading

                                        Margaret