COMSUBIN: removed 1.331 war residuals from the seas and inland waters of the country in the first month of 2019

(To Marina Militare)
05/02/19

During the month of January 2019 the divers of the Underwater Operating Group (GOS) of the Underwater Command and Incursors of the Navy (COMSUBIN), seconded to the SDAI Nuclei (Demining Defense Antimezzi Insidious), relentlessly continued the delicate reclamation operations neutralizing a total of 1.331 unexploded ordnance dating back to world conflicts, found along the coasts of the national territory and in the waters of Lake Garda.

Urgent interventions conducted by SDAI staff were requested by the prefectures of Bari, Cagliari, Caltanissetta, Genoa, Sassari and Verona following complaints made by private citizens or by law enforcement officers about the finding of artifacts attributable to explosive devices.

In particular, after neutralizing over 45.000 bombs in 2018, the divers of the SDAI Nuclei intervened in Molfetta (BA), where they identified and removed 53 devices then delivered to the bomb squads of the 11th Foggia destroyer regiment of the Italian Army for the subsequent destruction, in the Gulf of Cagliari - where they removed 2 large caliber bullets, 17 medium caliber and 21 fuses, as well as 1.365 small caliber bullets - and in Gela Bulala (CL) where they identified, removed and destroyed 5 large caliber bullets .

The incessant reclamation work continued in the waters off the island of Trimelone (VR) inside Lake Garda, where divers have removed 267 war residuals - including hand grenades, grenades of different caliber, bombs from rifle, quills and detonators, which were handed over to the Army bombers of the 8 regiment of genius Legnago brigade troublemakers thunderbolt who carried out the destruction - and in Liguria where they were reclaimed, with the support of the hyperbaric system installed on Nave Marine of the COMSUBIN Naval Special Group, two P200 World War II mines, previously found by the divers of the Guardia di Finanza in Arenzano and Camogli respectively.

The activities of the SDAI nucleus of La Spezia continue in Portofino, where, until now, a considerable number of unexploded war material have been removed, including medium-sized quills and bullets.

The commanders of the SDAI Nuclei keep to recommend to anyone who bumps into objects with shapes similar to those of an explosive device or parts of it, not to touch them or tamper with them in any way, denouncing their discovery, as soon as possible, at the local Port Authority or to the nearest station of the Carabinieri, so as to allow the intervention of the divers of COMSUBIN in order to restore the safety conditions of our sea.

These interventions represent one of the many activities that the Navy divisions lead to safeguarding public safety even in inland waters, as reiterated by the Decree of the Ministry of Defense of 28 February 2017, carrying out high-risk diving operations aimed at restoring security conditions of bathing and surfing in favor of the community.