How To Defuse A World War II Bomb
The military all over the world has dropped hundreds of thousands of explosive bombs. Some have detonated, some haven't. Those that haven't are lying around - a real danger to anyone in the area. The U.S. military trains people in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) field to go around and get rid of this stuff.
A bomb is filled with a high explosive. It needs a fuse to set it off. If you drop a bomb without a fuse out of an airplane, it probably won't explode when it hits the ground. If you throw a stick of dynamite against a stone wall, it won't explode either. That only happens in the movies. All explosive devices like this need something to set them off other than impact. By using two components (the bomb and the fuse), you can store these things safely as long as you keep them apart.
Most World War II American bombs use two fuses: one in the nose, one in the tail. They screw in and have little fins that spin around to activate them. If the fins don't spin, the fuse doesn't arm...but like anything, there are exceptions. When loaded on an airplane, the fins are kept from spinning with a wire that's attached to the airplane. When dropped, the wire is pulled out, the fins are free to spin and the fuse is activated. When the fuse hits the ground, it sets off the bomb. To deactivate a bomb, you have to remove the fuse or fuses (hence the word "defusing"). Once they're out, you can pick up the bomb, toss it in the back of a truck and haul it away. If it's too big to pick up (and they could weigh thousands of pounds), you'll need some help picking it up. In the movies, you see a bomb disposal guy kneeling by a bomb, unscrewing the fuses while everybody stands in the background, holding their breath.
First, expose the nose of the bomb by digging away the dirt around it and look at the fuse. If it's crushed beyond recognition due to impact, it will be difficult to remove and probably won't function.In this case you have two choices: pick it up or blow it up where it is. Bomb disposal experts often blow it up where it is if there is no danger of causing damage to any surrounding structures. If you can remove the fuse, use a large wrench and unscrew it counterclockwise. The tail fuse will probably be in good condition, so remove it as well. That's it...you're done. But there could be some problems.
Fuses are sensitive and some tail fuses have a firing pin that is cocked with a spring ready to hurl it forward. If it's still cocked and you start fiddling around, it could fire and set off the bomb. Almost all mechanic nose fuses rely on impact to set them off, so you're fairly safe there. Some tail fuses like the old M-123 and M-132 have an anti-withdrawal feature, so if you start unscrewing the fuze, it sets itself off and blows up the bomb...and the person unscrewing it. Defusing a bomb is a risky trick and best left to the experts. If you find one, call the nearest military base and ask for the EOD people. If you choose to do it yourself, you do it at your own risk. Good luck.
