Land Mines in San Diego!

[hbru123]

Most people know San Diego for its picture perfect beaches and amazing weather but beyond the beaches or sometimes right next to them lie a reminder of the intense training during WW2. Most people don't know much about WW2 in the US but I search for the relics left behind from the soldiers that used them. Today I was metal detecting next to a beach where a WW2 military camp was, I have found some wheat penny's, a war nickel, rations, and a lot of ammo. As I was detecting my brother called me over and said he found something amazing! I went running over and I see three prongs sticking out of the hole he dug, immediately I knew it was a pressure fuse to a land mine! I have found one of the pieces to it but nothing like what happened next. As I started to look at it closer I knew that it was not just a land mine but a extremely rare booby trap land mine(I have only seen one other example of this specific type), (you would take the top off of a grenade and put the specially designed fuse in it and it turned a grenade into a land mine), we put the pin pointer back in the hole to see if there was any more and sure enough it was going off like crazy, we carefully started digging and I hit something solid so I dug around and to my surprise out popped half of a WW2 hand grenade!(Thankfully the grenade was completely broken) Today I learned that even if you are digging on the beach be careful because you never know what you are going to find!

(None of the pieces that were found are dangerous any more. Because they were detonated in the past. The pictures you see are of it when I reassembled it and of it disassembled.)

 

[Old Pueblo]

Thats an awesome find. Congrats.

 

[vpnavy]

Dang - now that is a find!

 

[Westfront]

Cool find. These came with pull type fuzes as well. You could nail them on a tree with a trip wire.
I know the feeling, found a Bouncing Betty years ago in the wood sitting there like it was left in 1944.

 

[pepperj]

There's something about digging anything that goes boom other than a rifle/shot gun shell makes me sphincter muscle clam up shut.

 

[DiggerGal]

Awesome find hbru! Please be careful out there!!


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[dts52]

Wow! Amazing find!
HH
dts

 

[dts52]

Cool find. These came with pull type fuzes as well. You could nail them on a tree with a trip wire.
I know the feeling, found a Bouncing Betty years ago in the wood sitting there like it was left in 1944.

Incredible find!
HH
dts

 

[Centsless Detecting]

Way to do your homework and find something awesome!

 

[Kurios1]

There's something about digging anything that goes boom other than a rifle/shot gun shell makes me sphincter muscle clam up shut.

I recall quite vividly recovering my 4 inch twelve pound cannon ball the night I dug it. FIRST thing I looked for was a FUSE! LOL! Not joking around with explosives is the correct and proper procedure EVERY time. Ya'll have read about the unfortunate souls who blow themselves to bits tinkering with old military explosives I am sure. SPHINCTER REDUCTION FACTOR X 100!

 

[port ewen ace]

consider hiring a crew of low wage helpers to walk ahead before ya swing-- Gov. Moonbeam could be the "foreman" with help from nancy & maxine

 

[scruggs]

Spectacular find you made!

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on the interesting find

 

[hbru123]

Thats an awesome find. Congrats.

Thanks so much!

 

[hbru123]

Dang - now that is a find!

Thank you!

 

[hbru123]

Cool find. These came with pull type fuzes as well. You could nail them on a tree with a trip wire.
I know the feeling, found a Bouncing Betty years ago in the wood sitting there like it was left in 1944.

Thanks so much! That is an amazing find you had!

 

[hbru123]

Awesome find hbru! Please be careful out there!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks so much! I definitely will be careful!

 

[hbru123]

Wow! Amazing find!
HH
dts

Thanks so much!

 

[hbru123]

Way to do your homework and find something awesome!

Thank you!

 

[hbru123]

I recall quite vividly recovering my 4 inch twelve pound cannon ball the night I dug it. FIRST thing I looked for was a FUSE! LOL! Not joking around with explosives is the correct and proper procedure EVERY time. Ya'll have read about the unfortunate souls who blow themselves to bits tinkering with old military explosives I am sure. SPHINCTER REDUCTION FACTOR X 100!

Wow! That's amazing! I would love to find a cannonball one day!