Bethany Beach reconstruction

[Mentz]

Well you can forget the older stuff for years to come. This reconstruction is dumping so much sand on the beach you can't even see the water from the boardwalk. This photo is south end Bethany boardwalk.

These photos are from the north end of Bethany.

This when finished will total a 3 mile length of the beach. They are again pumping in WW2 munitions that were dumpped offshore after the war, they are straining the larger stuff over 1 1/2 inches. So far the finds are .50 cal. bullets and casings and parts of the larger munitions.

 

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[geckokid]

I hope no hand grenades get dumped on the beach

 

[RelicRick]

Hey Mentz!

I was just out there last week and pulled in 3 of the bullets you speak of and about 7 pounds of the assorted shrapnel that goes with it....and very suprisingly 26 cents in clad! My buddy, John has collected over 260 of the bullets so far. I don't know what he's going to do with them all. I'll be back in the area a few days before Christmas checking it out some more...hey, ya never know!

CYA out there!
Goalrush

 

[L_Bo]

I have talked with some of the crew hired to pump the sand, they found a couple live munitions but the filters did catch them. I hit it up after a storm and it was crazy, all of this below was had in a few hours. If anyone could identify the smaller pieces it would be appreciated, I thought they were pieces of ammo belts that hold the 50 cal bullets but others have said they are not but couldn't tell what they are.

 

[RelicRick]

Hey L_Bo!

Nice digs! The guy that runs the metal detecting shop in Fenwick Island (not on Rt. 1) can tell you what the smaller pieces are from. BTW, my buddies count for bullets is now over 500! I haven't been back there since around Christmas.

Happy hunting!

Rick @ the Goalrush

 

[L_Bo]

Yeah I had Dale look at them and he wasn't sure at first but suspected they were articulating belts that hold the ammo together.

 

[Mentz]

Bethany recoveries

I believe the circular articles are parts to munition fuses, the rectangular items appear brass and would not be pieces of .50 cal. ammunition belts as those links were made from disintegrating steel links that were treated against rusting. The items being found now were pumped in also about 5 years ago on the last replenishment.

 

[L_Bo]

Re: Bethany recoveries

I believe the circular articles are parts to munition fuses, the rectangular items appear brass and would not be pieces of .50 cal. ammunition belts as those links were made from disintegrating steel links that were treated against rusting. The items being found now were pumped in also about 5 years ago on the last replenishment.

Do you happen to know, or can you speculate, what the brass links could be? Fragments of hand grenades have also been mentioned to me however the links are just that, links as far as I can tell. They seem to be fairly flat, no curvature to form a sphere of some type. What's interesting is they appear to have groves on one side, perfect for teeth to advance or grab into, and there are rips on each end. Here is another picture I forgot I had with a little more detail.

I remember "talk" of old ammo being found during the last replenishment...... I wasn't into hunting though at the time. I spoke with a WWII veteran on the beach one of those days hunting who actually participated in target practice there. He said they would set their guns up from an area on land (where Sea Colony is today) and would shoot at targets out off the coast line. He also mentioned some controversy about whether the spent ammo was being dumped or not. He laughed, knowing how politically incorrect that practice would be today. I was so interested in the conversation I neglected to ask him what he thought those pieces could be.

 

[Mentz]

Articles found on beach

My guess is considering that they are along with the fuse parts they may be shrapnel from artillery shells fired over the water. The fuses would explode the shells causing the shrapnel to fly about. According to Bill Winkler at the Treasure Quest Shoppe in Ocean View the .50 cal and possible artillery was fired out over the water at night to keep away the German U boats that were ever present, as at night they would surface to recharge their batteries.

 

[geckokid]

Re: Bethany recoveries

I believe the circular articles are parts to munition fuses, the rectangular items appear brass and would not be pieces of .50 cal. ammunition belts as those links were made from disintegrating steel links that were treated against rusting. The items being found now were pumped in also about 5 years ago on the last replenishment.

Do you happen to know, or can you speculate, what the brass links could be? Fragments of hand grenades have also been mentioned to me however the links are just that, links as far as I can tell. They seem to be fairly flat, no curvature to form a sphere of some type. What's interesting is they appear to have groves on one side, perfect for teeth to advance or grab into, and there are rips on each end. Here is another picture I forgot I had with a little more detail.

I remember "talk" of old ammo being found during the last replenishment...... I wasn't into hunting though at the time. I spoke with a WWII veteran on the beach one of those days hunting who actually participated in target practice there. He said they would set their guns up from an area on land (where Sea Colony is today) and would shoot at targets out off the coast line. He also mentioned some controversy about whether the spent ammo was being dumped or not. He laughed, knowing how politically incorrect that practice would be today. I was so interested in the conversation I neglected to ask him what he thought those pieces could be.

Those pieces are artillery shell fragments.

 

[chong2]

maybe the rifling of artillary shells, big grooves?

 

[L_Bo]

Found some more military stuff today, and a $100 Peso!!!!

Then I learned the peso was devalued, this coin was taken out of circulation in 1993 :lol: At least it's unique.

 

[The Buzzard King]

And as of June 2009

It still sucks!!!

They're doing the replenishing again, and it's just the same WWII stuff in the photos above.

TONS of it! Tinier than ever!

 

[RCBAKER00]

where does the sand come from they are putting there

 

[Mentz]

The ships in the photo pump sand and debris through a flexible tube from the ships to the beach. The small boat is constantly running back and forth taking depth readings to control the amount of sand removed from each location.

 

[RCBAKER00]

so there should be good stuff in the sand ,do they get the sand from the ocean

 

[47thelement]

Just got back from BB. Had an in depth conversation with a gentleman famililar with the beach replenishment process. Here is what he said.

The sand and debris is pumped onto the beach into a large cage without a bottom. The cage acts as a filter and catches all itemes larger than 1-1/2 inches while the sand blows through. When the cage is full the simply move it down the beach a bit leaving the large pile of debris. From what he said, as a cost cutting move the debris was then simply buried on the beach.

Still I found nothing but shrapnel. Had better luck in OC

 

[De.Digger]

Isnt it possible that if the dredge happens near an old wreck it could pump some coins onto the beach? I have a friend who
says he has found some Irish copper following beach replenishment