On Tuesday 3rd December, a German SC 1,000kg Unexploded Bomb (UXB) was discovered near the Clarence Esplanade in Southsea, Portsmouth.
The device was discovered in the morning by a digger whilst undertaking coastal defence works. The nearby Blue Reef Aquarium, the D-Day Museum, Clarence Pier, and parts of Southsea Common were evacuated.
A cordon was established, and a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit was called to attend. By 21.31pm a statement was released from Hampshire Police, confirming: “our partners in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team have now safely removed the ordnance from the area. The Southsea cordons have now been lifted.”
It is understood that the device is to be taken to sea for disposal in a controlled explosion. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is yet to comment on the incident.
Portsmouth was heavily bombed during WWII. The city was a primary target due to the presence of His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth, and other important military and industrial installations. In total, there were 69No. recorded air raids on Portsmouth, with the heaviest raids occurring on 24th August 1940, 10th January 1941, and 10th March 1941.
The Sprengbombe Cylindrisch (SC) 1000 was a large general purpose High Explosive (HE) bomb used by the Luftwaffe. It was nicknamed the Hermann by German air crew in reference to their commander, Hermann Göring.
For more information on the SC 1000, see our ordnance data sheet: https://zeticauxo.com/guidance/ordnance-data-sheets/