The art of defusing a second world war bomb

On January 14, 2026, British military bomb disposal experts faced an unprecedented dual challenge when two unexploded German bombs from World War II were discovered simultaneously—one floating on a dredger at Exmouth Marina in Devon and another on a Plymouth building site. The Exmouth bomb, weighing 250kg and sitting on a barge loaded with 20,000 liters of diesel fuel, posed an immediate catastrophic risk if detonated, prompting emergency response from the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment. The discovery of the Exmouth bomb ended an 81-year-old local legend about a hidden bomb at the marina that had never been found despite decades of dredging operations.