WWII Bomb Just Detonated In Frankfurt – Here’s The Footage
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On April 14th, 2019, local authorities in Frankfurt, Germany, detonated a 550-pound bomb which was found in River Main days earlier. Controlled detonations like these are still quite common all around Germany as the constant bombing raids at the end of World War II left a lot of unexploded ordnance both in water and underground.
The Mayor of Frankfurt released the following statement, “I want to thank all the volunteers for their professionalism and their engagement — And all the residents who had to leave their apartments for their cooperation and patience,” as the team responsible for the detonation deemed it safer to have everyone leave in case things go awry.
The entire exercise went well as you’ll see in the video below. A special task force was sent to dive into the river to prime the threat for explosion and once everyone was at a safe distance, detonated the over seven-decade-old bomb. As you’ll hear, it was a very loud ordeal.
Frankfurt Bombings During World War II
Frankfurt was a major target for American and British forces during the war. Between 1939 and 1945, bombers dropped nearly 28,000 tons of ordnance on the city, leveling many historical buildings as they tried to hit key strategic areas.
Frankfurt on the Main: Center of the Altstadt (Old Town) with the Cathedral, western part of the Fischerfeldviertel (Fisher Field Quarter) and the major part of Sachsenhausen with heavy damage and devastations of the allied bombings of World War II as seen from the air from about the Braubachstrasse (Braubach Street) to the south. | Photo Credit: Public Domain
Bridges on the River Main were also targeted to cut off supply routes, the bomb found recently also being aimed at the bridge you can see in the historical picture above.
