WWII Bomb Diffused on German Dredging Vessel

Cologne, Germany An unexploded WWII aerial bomb retrieved from the Rhine River forced the closure of shipping operations and the airspace above the river as experts safely defused the bomb.

The massive British-made munition was moved to a dredging vessel positioned far enough from residential areas to avoid the need for any evacuations during defusal operations, according to Cologne city officials.

Once diffused, it was transported ashore on a tractor and loaded onto an EOD vehicle. Discovery of UXO is common in Cologne, which was heavily bombed by Allied air forces during the war.