Mail: "RN Loses 2,000lb WW2 Mine Off Essex Coast After Trying To Blow It Up"

RN Divers drop mirror in Gemini - And lose mine in the process...

BBC News - Royal Navy search for missing WWII mine off Essex coast

I remember this happening to us a good few years back, rather pleased that Aunty Beeb didn't jump over us for this!

 

Lads just wanted another night in a hotel, Southend good night out on a Saturday.

 

Jesus wept.

It must be summer again.

 

One would've hoped after the last debacle, the public relations gurus would refrain from grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory again & waited until the 'ber-nag' before admitting involvement.

Then again, at least the branch has operational credibility to offset the inevitable mockery.

 

Look at the SD's sticking up for each other! Friends with ATG by any chance???? Also might have been the Boss's job. He is SD bet your view would change then.

 

Is this actually a cover up for an STC operation??

Or just a bubble head screw up. They could have put it off awaiting the hair gel resupply scheduled for tomorrow!

 

Tooo much Brylcream.........a 'slip(k)not'?

 

Royal Navy loses 2,000lb World War Two mine off Essex coast after trying to blow it up | Mail Online

 

Already covered Sol
http://www.navy-net.co.uk/gash-barge/62086-rn-divers-drop-mirror-gemini-lose-mine-process.html

 

Thanks WreckerL, that's what happens when you spend all afternoon in the hairdressers!

 

WreckerL has the same problem Sol/

 

I'm there collecting for Rummer's new syrup.

 

I'd treat what some of the media are saying with a pinch of salt. The prevailing weather conditions have been appalling and this device is in an exposed area some distance offshore.

Such circumstances can't have been conducive to safe diving operations, especially where the handling and initiation of high explosives is involved. However, it's all too easy for the ill-informed to get the wrong end of the stick.

Thames Area Shipping Forecast
​

 

As a matter interest, does anyone know whether they teach knot-tying at Raleigh on tne Initial Naval Training course?

 

Did in 1987 oppo.

 

Safety is the order of the day. As I strongly suspected, the divers deliberately relaid the mine in a known position (probably by gradually deflating the lifting bag which could easily be mistaken for a buoy) pending an improvement in the appalling weather conditions and the RNLI/MCA appear to have misread the situation. In view of the weather forecast, I'd be surprised if the divers manage to dispose of the mine on Sunday, either.

Navy divers 'did not lose war mine'
​

Incidentally, a German 2,000 lb ground mine (see below) looks nothing like the moored mine shown in the Daily Mail article.

​