The reclamation of Comsubin divers: more than 23.000 explosive devices were neutralized

(To Marina Militare)
14/08/18

The months of July and August have always represented holiday periods for the majority of the population, while for the divers of the Navy it is perhaps the time in which emergency remediation interventions on explosive devices, often found by them, increase. men and women on vacation, to ensure the full usability of our seas, rivers and lakes.

In this period, the SDAI Nuclei (Demining Defense Antimezzi Insidious) of the Comsubin Underwater Operational Group (GOS) operated in various Italian locations to neutralize numerous explosive devices found both by bathers and in the context of systematic underwater reclamation conducted by specialized companies.

In Sicily the divers of the Augusta Nucleus during the month of July intervened at the island of Favignana, the coast of Castelvetrano, the port of Messina and the Syracusan coast, where they removed and destroyed 68 medium and large caliber bullets, restoring thus the safety of bathing in those stretches of coast. 
In addition, the same operators carried out some inspection dives in favor of the Superintendence of the Sea of ​​the Sicily region on a wreck of a plane, a probable Savoia Marchetti 79 Sparviero of the Second World War, found at 33 meters deep in the waters in front of Trefontane in the province. of Castelvetrano (TP).

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the first days of August, the Ancona Nucleus removed a World War II torpedo found during the dredging of the port of Grado (GO), whose explosive of the warhead had been accidentally moved by a fishing boat. Following a careful analysis of the dynamics and an accurate underwater research, the divers of the GOS found the 300 kg of explosives 400 meters away from the site, identified by the Maritime Authority, where they had been positioned, and were shine in the late evening of 10 August, thus restoring the safety conditions of those waters.

In Puglia, on the other hand, during the underwater search for war remnants conducted by a company specialized in this sector, numerous explosive artifacts were reported for which the intervention of divers from the SDAI Nucleus of Taranto was requested and during the first two weeks of August, 2.560 explosive devices and a large number of unit weapon bullets were removed and destroyed.

Finally, in Tuscany, on August 13, the operators of the La Spezia Nucleus removed an 88 mm bullet from the waters of the Lamine river in the municipality of Marradi (FI), which was subsequently delivered to the Army bomb squads.

These interventions represent one of the many activities that the Underwater Departments of the Navy carry out to safeguard public safety, also carried out in inland waters, in accordance with the Decree of the Ministry of Defense of 28 February 2017, carrying out high-risk underwater operations aimed at restoring the safe conditions of bathing and navigation.

Last year the divers of the Italian Navy recovered and destroyed a total of 22.000 explosive devices, remnants of war, while from 1 January 2018 to date they have already neutralized 23.804 from the Italian seas, rivers and lakes, not counting the 33.570 bullets of lower caliber at 12,7 mm also removed and destroyed.

With a history of 169 years behind them, divers represent national excellence in the field of underwater activities, being able to conduct work dives up to 1.500 meters deep and in any operational scenario, within the scope of their school duties. (rescue to the crews of submarines in difficulty and the neutralization of explosive devices found in maritime contexts) and in favor of the community.

For these peculiarities, divers from other Armed Forces and Armed Forces of the State may be formed exclusively by the Comsubin School Group, which, through dedicated training courses, enables them to conduct bottom dives according to their respective skills.