Ponape WWII Ordinance

Few world wide can say they hear Japanese Ordinance detonating in 2002!

February 2, 2002  The bomb disposal people are continuing to unearth unexploded and live Japanese ordnance from an area in the middle of town that is a school sports ground. This was evidently a ammo dump and it was bombed by the US forces and all the left-over stuff was just buried in various bomb craters. I attach some pictures taken today of the stuff coming up. Like-new 81mm mortars and 75mm howitzer shells and other junk. Today there were two explosions, they were test-blowing single 81mm mortar shells. Not far from my place. The bang was like a door slamming sharply.

Typical steel case holding three complete Type 41 gun rounds with a tube included for the Type 88 shell fuzes.Some reasonable Type 41 75mm cases. Lower right is a steel case, and the crate ends with the padlock still on it.Some more 81s and a couple of nice 75s underneath.

Mint 81mm shell with fuze alongside.Exploded 81 from the same place - no rust at all! 

Return to Stan Gajda