British Navy divers detonate German World War II bomb retrieved from 17th century shipwreck
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}British Royal Navy divers detonated at sea a huge 1-ton bomb Germany dropped on England during World War II.
The detonation took place Friday off Essex at the end of a delicate six-day mission, officials said.
The German parachute ground mine was one of the biggest bombs used by the Luftwaffe during the war, the BBC reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HITLER'S SECRET NAZI WAR MACHINE REVEALED IN HIDDEN BASES
“The mine, most likely dropped to target one of the numerous docks in the Thames Estuary, was in extremely good condition given its age," Lt. Ben Brown said in a news release.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Civilian divers exploring the “London,” a 17th century shipwreck, found the bomb and alerted the Royal Navy. The London sank in 1665, the BBC reported.
"The complexity of this task should not be underestimated,” Brown said in a news release. “Dealing with one of the largest pieces of German Second World War ordnance in the Thames Estuary presents some of the most challenging diving conditions there are to work in.”
He added, "With nil visibility under water and significant tidal flow, the diving windows are extremely limited and all work on the ordnance must be done by touch.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The mine was packed with the equivalent of 1,600 pounds of TNT, the Royal Navy said.
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It was detonated about 5 miles from where it was found.