Welcome to UXOInfo.com's free monthly E-Newsletter on Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). UXOInfo.com is the largest site on the Internet for UXO related news and information. If you have not checked out the UXOInfo.com website, we encourage you to do so at www.uxoinfo.com. In addition to bringing you the latest UXO news and information, the UXOInfo.com website also provides the following:

• UXO Resume Response Line
• Ordnance / UXO Photo Gallery
• UXO Document Library

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• UXO Question and Answer

The UXO E-Newsletter is issued monthly to provide the industry with important news and information related to UXO. For information on how to advertise in future UXO E-Newsletters please email the UXOInfo.com Marketing Coordinator, Ms. Jenna Coven at jenna@uxoinfo.com.

If you do not wish to receive the UXO E-Newsletter in the future, simply use the un-subscribe link provided at the bottom of this newsletter. If you have any questions or comments on UXOInfo.com or the UXO E-Newsletter please email them to rhonda@uxoinfo.com.

The UXO E-Newsletter and UXOInfo.com are the copyright of Ordnance Holdings, Inc. (OHI)

We Are All In This Together - Brighter Days Ahead

I know the global COVID-19 pandemic is impacting everyone, especially those who have lost a family member or friend to the virus. This month we start off with the sad loss of a former Riverside CA bomb technician who unfortunately lost his life to complications from the virus.

As stay at home orders keep people at home in all areas around the globe, more people are doing house projects such as landscaping and gardening. For at least one couple in the United Kingdom, their stay at home gardening project led to the unusual find of a hand grenade. Other UXO finds we report on include beach finds, construction finds, and a UXO find that inconveniently shut down an airport runway.

Please enjoy this month's UXO E-Newsletter and stay safe.

UXOInfo.com is brought to you by Ordnance Holdings, Inc. (OHI), a Hub Zone certified small business - please keep us in mind to support your next UXO project from consulting and UXO construction support to full-service UXO remediation and removals. For more information on OHI's capabilities and services, please visit our website at www.ordnanceholdings.com. Finally, when it comes to UXO, please remember the 3R's of Recognize, Retreat, Report.

Former Bomb Disposal Tech Dies of Coronavirus Complications

Riverside County, California David Werksman, a 22-year deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department died of complications due to the coronavirus. Werksman joined the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in 1998, working in the jails, on patrol before joining bomb squad, an assignment he held for 11 years before moving into the Sheriff's Department's administration unit, handling public records requests.

Werksman, 51, was the second Riverside sheriff's deputy killed by the virus in a day as Terrell Young, 52, a deputy in the county jails, died the same day. As of early April, 35 sworn officers and eight civilian employees with the Los Angeles Police Department have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Young and Werksman did not work together and did not encounter each other while infected with the Coronavirus. No Sheriff's Department employees who worked with Werksman have shown symptoms of the virus.

Airport Runway Closed Due To WWII-Era UXO

Okinawa, Japan Airport officials were forced to close a runway at Naha Airport after construction workers uncovered an unexploded bomb likely dropped by U.S. forces during WWII. The bomb was discovered near the airport's No. 1 runway, according to a spokeswoman for Naha city.

Representatives from the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) responded to the scene and secured the ordnance. The runway, one of two at the airport, was closed impacting dozens of flights and hundreds of passengers.

The city of Naha is coordinating with the JGSDF, local police and Naha Airport to coordinate the removal and disposal of the bomb.

WWII Grenades Ignite During Excavation

London Colney, England An EOD team was called in after 16 white phosphorous WWII grenades were found by builders. The unexploded grenades were unearthed under a patio near an old pub in London Colney.

A digger clearing land for new apartments reportedly ran over the grenades igniting a fire. Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue were called to the scene, but the EOD team was called in and the area cordoned off once it was apparent that ordnance was involved.

EOD placed the grenades into a water filled container until they were destroyed through open detonation procedures. No one was injured and the cordons were lifted.

Navy EOD Disposed UXO From Waters Off Lanikai

Lanikai Beach, Hawaii The U.S. Navy's EOD team, Detachment Mid-Pacific, safely set off C-4 explosives attached to UXO off Lanikai Beach. The detonation was the culmination of an all-day UXO removal for the special Navy team in cooperation with the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources.

The operation was in response to a citizen report of possible UXO in February. It is believed that the items were WWII-era munitions dropped during military training exercises. Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and Honolulu Police patrolled the beach to insure no people entered the area during the detonation.

Biologists from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) carried-out a baseline assessment last month to assess and document coral in the area and will revisit the site this week to conduct a post-blast assessment.

Practical Military Ordnance Identification (2nd Edition)

Author Tom Gersbeck's book - 'Practical Military Ordnance Identification' (2nd edition) focuses on the application of a practical deductive process to identify unknown ordnance items commonly recovered outside military control. In the book, Tom describes a seven-step procedure to identify unknown munitions by their category, group, and type. Detailed logic trees help users narrow down the possibilities in order to accurately identify ordnance. The book also covers safety precautions, describes ordnance construction characteristics, and explains the fundamentals of military ordnance fuzing.

'Practical Military Ordnance Identification' is written for Public Safety Bomb Technicians, SWAT personnel, Explosives Detection Canine (EDC) handlers, emergency management personnel, beach and park patrol units, forensic laboratory staff, Evidence Response Teams (ERT), UXO technicians, Deminers, Coast Guard personnel, archaeologists, all military personnel and other first responders; as well as history enthusiasts, museum employees, and those studying these fields. The easy-to-follow, step-by-step means of applying a practical deductive process to identifying ordnance outlined in this book was written with these professionals in mind.

Order "Practical Military Ordnance Identification" (2nd edition) today from Amazon.com, BN.com, or other online book retailer.

For any queries please contact the author at Tom212021@outlook.com.

UXO-Related History Remembered

British 100 lb. SAP Rocket Bomb Fuze - December 1944

This month we feature Headquarters 88th Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad technical bulletin on the British 100-lb SAP Rocket Bomb Fuze. The unclassified technical bulletin contains a hand drawn sketch of the ordnance item and a detailed cut-away sketch of the fuze including the fuze components.

The technical bulletin also included details on the functioning of the fuze as follows: "The force of the propelling charge enters the four holes at the top of the fuze compressing the aluminum diaphragm which in turn pushes the arming stem down releasing the striker locking ball and the spring loaded slider. The spring loaded slider moves over into the arming position thus aligning the flash channels. Upon impact the striker is free to stab the primer which in turn detonated the booster and finally the bomb itself."

If you have any UXO history you would like to share including documents, images, and/or articles for posting, please send them to Rhonda at rhonda@uxoinfo.com.

UXO Support Services by Ordnance Holdings, Inc.(OHI)

Ordnance Holdings, Inc. (OHI) - developer and operator of UXOInfo.com, is a small certified HUB Zone business, specializing in providing UXO, MMRP, and explosives safety related services.

Services provided by OHI include:

• UXO Construction Support / Anomaly Avoidance
• Dredging Support
• UXO Technician Staffing
• GIS/Mapping Services
• Archival Research

For more information on OHI, please visit our recently updated - website or contact OHI's Client Relations Manager, Jenna Perman: (O) 443.522.2933 (C) 443.857.7474 (E) jenna@ordnanceholdings.com.

About FLIR's Unmanned Ground Systems

A unit of FLIR Systems, Inc., FLIR Unmanned Ground Systems is the world's leading provider of battle-tested Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). We partner with U.S. and international military, law enforcement and industrial users to design and build technologically advanced robots that support a wide range of missions. Whether it's a roadside bomb on the battlefield, a suspicious package on the subway, or a potential hazmat situation, our robots help keep troops, first responders, and the public safe.

FLIR has delivered more than 7,000 UGVs to customers in over 55 countries. Ranging in size from five to 500 pounds, our trusted robots have been used countless times in the field to provide a greater stand-off distance from danger. Using an array of sensors, they gather valuable intelligence so decision-makers can better understand the situation and respond to possible threats. Our family of UGVs are modular, adaptable, easy-to-use, and meet or exceed the needs of operators in any uniform.

MuniRem Environmental (MRE) is an industry leader in providing chemistry that near instantly neutralize and destroys explosives and other energetics to non-hazardous end products. MuniRem degrades energetics and chemical warfare materiel (CWM), while stabilizing heavy metals as the insoluble metal sulfides. MuniRem is recognized as a safer and faster solution for removing explosive risks from different materials.

MRE's award winning innovative green solutions are delivered to its private industry and government clients by highly qualified, dedicated and driven staff of engineers, scientists and UXO professionals. MuniRem has been applied at diverse Munitions and Explosives of concern (MEC) project sites in the United States and internationally.

MuniRem has been applied to:

• Instantly neutralize bulk explosives
• Destroy mustard and other chemical warfare materiel to non-hazardous products
• Decontaminate explosives contaminated buildings, pipes, equipment and range scrap
• Remove explosive risks ahead of UXO Tech response
• Neutralize recovered underwater munitions on-site
• Remediate explosives contaminated soil and groundwater
• Clean explosives manufacturing plants and indoor training ranges
• Destroy explosives in spent activated carbon
• Destroy chlorinated organics (e.g., HCB, PCBs, TCE, PCE, etc.)
• Remediation of metals (AL, As, Ba, Ca, Cr(IV), Hg, Pb, U, etc.) by stabilization as insoluble metal sulfides

For more information on Tripwire Operations Group please contact:
Ryan J. Morris, M.A.
Email: RJM@TRIPWIREOPS.ORG Website: http://www.tripwireops.org/
Tripwire Operations Group, LLC.- 1685 Baltimore Pike - Gettysburg, PA 17325
Office: 888-330-7015 Direct: 717-648-2792 Fax: 717-334-6391 Google Voice: 202-573-8105

For an overview on Tripwire please Click Here.

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For information on Corporate Sponsorships, please contact UXOInfo.com's Marketing Coordinator, Jenna Perman at jenna@uxoinfo.com or (443)857-7474.

Boys Find Munition Item On The Beach

Yaverland, United Kingdom A Bembridge Coastguard Rescue Team was called out to the beach when two boys playing on the beach reported a suspicious item.

The Coastguard Rescue Officers arrived on scene and sent photographs to the Royal Navy EOD team, who deemed the object to potentially be a viable explosive. The incident was handed over to the police who remained on scene throughout the night until EOD could respond.

The following morning, EOD responded and conducted a controlled detonation of the item.

EOD Memorial Weekend Reminder

The EOD Memorial weekend events begin on May 1 with the Annual EOD Auction. The Auction will be entirely online this year. Bidding opens at 11:00 AM CST, and will continue for 24 hours. Visit the website www.32auctions.com/2020EODAUCTION to register and view the auction items.

Please consider supporting this event by participating in the auctions or making a donation. For more information, please visit https://eodwarriorfoundation.org/event/2020-eod-weekend-of-events/.

Couple Digs Up Grenade While Gardening

Scotforth, England A civilian couple digging out a distressed tree in their front garden got the shock of the day when a grenade "rolled out of the soil." According to one of the finders, "You could tell it wasn't a normal rock. It was oval shaped and I was tapping it with a stone and my husband said 'that looks like a grenade' so I stopped tapping it!"

The couple reported their find to police and an armed unit responded to close the road.

An x-ray on the device determined that it did not contain explosives, and it was safely removed. EOD noted that it was their third call in a week for suspicious items as more people have been working outside due to stay at home protocols in place.

Grenade Found on Beach Relocated to Street

The bomb disposal officer safely removed the grenade from the area for proper disposal. Later, in a social media post, the State’s Police urged Islanders never to touch any suspicious items which they found on the beach and to call them immediately. The post read, “This live grenade had been picked up by someone and placed on a wall in St Clement. Anything could have happened. The bomb disposal Officer has taken this one away. If you do find anything like this then please get in touch with us immediately.”

It followed a similar incident which took place earlier this month when a WWII-era munition was picked up off the beach and taken home. It was also eventually dealt with by the island's bomb disposal officer.

Projectile Removed From Business in Tennessee

Cleveland, Tennessee The Cleveland Police Department Bomb Squad responded to a call of a military ordnance was discovered on the property of Industrial Valve Sales and Service.

When the bomb technicians arrived, they were taken to a projectile that was sitting on a pallet.

The bomb technicians determined the item was safe to transport to a remote location for destruction.

The projectile was safely transported to the Chattanooga Police Department's range, where it was safely destroyed. It is unclear how the munition arrived at the facility.

Baltimore, Maryland The USACE Baltimore District has released the long awaited Military Munitions Services (MAMMS) III, Munitions and Environmental Response Services solicitation. The scope of work covers MEC and Munitions Constituents (MC) investigations, operational range support clearance, construction support for the Range and Training Land Program (RTLP), and Hazardous Toxic Radioactive Waste (HTRW) investigations and remediation.

The District plans to award eight (8) IDIQ contracts with a total shared capacity of $240 million, including a Small Business reserve of a target of four (4) contracts. The IDIQ contracts will consist of a 5-year base ordering period with two options for one (1) year each for a total potential contract period of seven (7) years.

Unlike previous MAMMS contracts, there are no set asides or partial set asides for SDVOB, Hub Zone, or 8A companies. Proposals are due under solicitation W912DR-19-R0051 on 19 May 2020.

The bodies of these bombs were made of 1/32-inch sheet metal rolled and lap welded into a cylindrical shape eight inches in diameter. The nose was hemispherical and welded to the body as was the box type tail fin assembly that formed the tail taper of the bomb body. The burster well was screwed into the bomb body by means of pipe threads to make a gastight seal at the nose.

The M47 series of bombs was developed to meet the requirements of the Air Force for a chemical bomb for "bombardment" purposes. It was a thin case bomb whose design and construction was such as to provide maximum efficiency after release from the bomb bay of the plane.

The M47A2 bomb was designed to be able to receive the chemical filler H without leaking. It was coated on the inside with a special oil that proved to be resistant to filler pressure having a resistance of 400-pound pressure. It did not differ from the 100-pound M47A1 in any appreciable way. It was found, however, that this bomb was also subject to leaking, but not to such an extent as its predecessors. H was still to be loaded into this bomb as a temporary emergency filler. It could also be filled with HD, WP, gelled gasoline, or NP.