Europe
WWII-era bomb defused in downtown Kaiserslautern
Stars and Stripes
May 17, 2012
The 250-pound American World War II-era bomb that was unearthed at a downtown Kaiserslautern construction site earlier this week lies on the back of a truck after it was defused Thursday. About 3,500 residents were evacuated from a zone that extended about 330 yards around the site for nearly four hours. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
German explosive ordnance disposal experts work to defuse a 250-pound American World War II-era bomb that was unearthed at a downtown Kaiserslautern construction site earlier this week. About 3,500 residents were evacuated from a zone that extended about 330 yards around the site. The defusing was suppose to take about half an hour but took nearly an hour longer because the threads on one of the bomb’s two fuses were misaligned. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
A police officer talks to two pedestrians who wanted to enter the evacuation zone in downtown Kaiserslautern, Thursday, where experts were working to defuse an American World War II-era, 250-pound bomb. About 3,500 residents were evacuated from the zone that extended about 330 yards around the site. The defusing that was suppose to last about half an hour took nearly an hour longer because the threads on one of the bomb’s two fuses were misaligned. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Explosive ordnance disposal experts defused a WWII-era bomb Thursday that was found in downtown Kaiserslautern during excavations at a construction site earlier this week.
About 3,500 people living in the downtown area had to be evacuated for the disarming of the 250-pound American bomb.
Because Thursday was a German holiday, businesses and offices within the 330-yard evacuation zone, including the multi-story city hall building, were closed.
The defusing was suppose to take about half an hour but took nearly an hour longer because the threads on one of the bomb’s two fuses were misaligned.