Ordnance disposal (7 March 2007)

A casual report at the beginning of March led to the recovery of several WWII TNT demolition blocks near the Bilancino basin and the State Highway. After the prompt intervention of the Carabinieri from the Barberino di Mugello station, the intervention of Army artificers brought out the remains of a case of US WWII TNT demolition blocks. Probably, the case had been interred early after the war, along the bed of a small ditch, by local farmers. The wood having rotten away, several blocks were sticking out of the ground.

A group of Army Engineers from Bologna retrieved a total of 130 half-pound blocks, and arranged for their detonation the following day. The blocks themselves are not overly dangerous, as TNT explodes only by use of detonators. However, it was necessary to prevent ill intentioned people to take away the explosive for further use.
Early on the morning of 7 March 2007, Lieutenant Peccianti and his men, together with the Carabanieri led by Warrant Officer Leta and the help of the Mugello Lavori excavators, dug the necessary pits for disposing of the explosive at a suitable place near Montecarelli.

Two pits, 1 yard deep, were dug and filled with the blocks together with three US 60 mm mortar rounds and a 75 mm HE shell previously found elsewhere in the area. The fougasses were covered, and all present taken at a safety distance of 500 yards. This precaution was not excessive, as when the two explosions finally took place several earth chunks weighting several pounds each flew through the sky coming to rest very near the observers.

The results of the explosions were two craters, several yards in diameter, attesting to the power of the military high explosive after all these years.

Just a little reminder of the dire conditions encountered by soldiers in the field, often compelled to advance in the open under a rain of artillery shells, not to mention small arms fire. What we witnessed surely was enough to scare an observer who only had to cower at a safe distance.