Dredger Pulls 500-Kilo WWII Bomb From the Bottom in Koblenz

On Tuesday, a dredger working on the Rhine pulled up a large bomb dating back to World War II, prompting an immediate security response. 

The dredge Innovatie was working near the Pfaffendorf Bridge in Koblenz when the crew discovered a 500-kilo WWII bomb, which had inadvertently been hauled aboard. The bomb had two intact detonators. 

For safety, the dredge was moved to the nearby Koblenz Moselle lock. The bomb can't be safely removed, according to the Rhineland Palatinate EOD squad, so it will have to be defused on board the ship. 

Since this is an inherently dangerous operation, the dredger will be moved to a less populated area on the Moselle, on the outskirts of town. 1,000 residents will be evacuated, including staff and students at an elementary school and a daycare. The city of Koblenz said in a statement that it would set up alternate accommodations for those affected by the evacuation order. The defusing is scheduled for Friday, and the area will be cleared out by 0830.

It is the second time that workers have found a large WWII bomb at the Pfaffendorf Bridge construction site. The last one - a 250-kilo U.S. Air Force bomb - was discovered in September, and was relocated to a secure area for a controlled detonation. 

During the Second World War, Koblenz was the home of the command post of German Army Group B. Like many German cities, its downtown core was heavily bombed by the U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force in the latter years of the war.

Bombing damage in downtown Koblenz, 1944. The Pffafendorf Bridge, where the bomb was dredged up, is visible at lower left (RAF)

USAF bombers over Koblenz, 1944 (USAF)