A 75-year-old bomb just exploded in Poland2 min read

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Bombs are always interesting, aren’t they? They are loud, dramatic, and invariably make history. But what happens when a bomb doesn’t explode for decades? The small town of Swinoujscie (that is a hard name to pronounce!) in Northwest Poland just found out.

On Thursday evening, a loud bang was heard coming from the Piast Canal, followed by a tall plume of water. No, it wasn’t Aquaman making an entrance, but a 75-year old bomb that finally fulfilled its purpose and exploded.

Thankfully, it caused no damage or injury.

So why did the bomb burst after so many years?

Simply because it had to. Since Monday, when the bomb was discovered, the Polish Navy has been sending divers into the canal to diffuse the bomb. You see, the canal has a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal and would often use ships to deliver the fuel. What if the bomb suddenly went off while a ship was en route?

The diving team had dismantled different parts of the bomb (the middle part is the one with the explosive) and had started to diffuse it. However, the bomb ended up exploding instead.

Poland was invaded by Germany during the Second World War and since saw several bombings until the end of the war.

Fun fact: Did you know that this bomb has a name? Tallboy. It is said to have been dropped by the RAF (Royal Air Force of Britain) in the last few months of the war, in 1945. That makes this bomb 75 years old.

This Tallboy was the biggest such bomb found in Poland and weighed 5,500 kgs. That means, it weighed more than a male adult elephant!

Owliver’s Tips:

The Second World War was a dark moment in history, and so was the occupation of Poland in 1939. In case you’d like to learn about Germany’s invasion of Poland, watch the video below:

Photo and Excerpts: CNN