A US bomb from World War II explodes at a Japanese airport, causing a large crater in a taxiway

[Wingnut]

Bomb Burred for 80 years goes boom!


TOKYO -- An unexploded U.S. bomb from World War II that had been buried at a Japanese airport exploded Wednesday, causing a large crater in a taxiway and the cancellation of more than 80 flights but no injuries, Japanese officials said.

Land and Transport Ministry officials said there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan.

Officials said an investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police confirmed that the explosion was caused by a 500-pound U.S. bomb and there was no further danger. They were determining what caused its sudden detonation.

A video recorded by a nearby aviation school showed the blast spewing pieces of asphalt into the air like a fountain. Videos broadcast on Japanese television showed a crater in the taxiway reportedly about 7 meters (yards) in diameter and 1 meter (3 feet) deep.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-bomb-world-war-ii-explodes-japanese-airport-114419077?cid=social_twitter_abcn

[PeteS in CA]

Miyazaki Airport is in/near Miyazaki, which is on the SE coast of Kyushu. The airbase would have been a significant target as it could be a base for planes (conventional and Kamikaze) attacking US forces in and around Okinawa.

[Wingnut]

Miyazaki Airport is in/near Miyazaki, which is on the SE coast of Kyushu. The airbase would have been a significant target as it could be a base for planes (conventional and Kamikaze) attacking US forces in and around Okinawa.

Someone speculated that the new airport was built over an old WWII jap air field.

[catfish1957]

Glad no one was hurt. 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

There are always long term ramifications of waging war.

The US still did the right thing in carpet bombing Toyko and surrounding area to lessen casualties to our troops.

Thank you General LeMay

[PeteS in CA]

There are always long term ramifications of waging war.

The US still did the right thing in carpet bombing Toyko and surrounding area to lessen casualties to our troops.

Thank you General LeMay

LeMay's focus, at the time, was destroying Japan's ability to produce weapons, which would shorten the war and thereby reduce both military and civilian casualties. Japanese industry was widely spread when it came to the production of parts that would eventually get assembled into a ______ in a large factory. In practical terms, much war material production was spread throughout residential areas. LeMay had to choose between letting most Japanese war materials production alone, because bombing it would kill civilians, or destroying the production location areas and killing large numbers of civilians.

This ~1 1/2 hour video goes into the fire-bombing of Tokyo, including the context leading up to the decision to do it:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkWVi5s85lo

[IsailedawayfromFR]

LeMay's focus, at the time, was destroying Japan's ability to produce weapons, which would shorten the war and thereby reduce both military and civilian casualties. Japanese industry was widely spread when it came to the production of parts that would eventually get assembled into a ______ in a large factory. In practical terms, much war material production was spread throughout residential areas. LeMay had to choose between letting most Japanese war materials production alone, because bombing it would kill civilians, or destroying the production location areas and killing large numbers of civilians.

This ~1 1/2 hour video goes into the fire-bombing of Tokyo, including the context leading up to the decision to do it:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkWVi5s85lo

Thanks.  Have to get cozy as this looks to take awhile

[AL]

Burried all these years.  Guess we made a high quality bomb back then.   

[PeteS in CA]

Burried all these years.  Guess we made a high quality bomb back then.   

IIRC from the USS Forrestal fire, the explosive the US used in WW2 and in the decade after tended over time and with poor storage to increase in power and become less stable.