A bomb disposal team of the Italian Army recently completed a major operation to defuse a war device dating back to World War II. The aeroplane bomb, weighing about 227 kg and containing 120 kg of high explosive, was found during work to extend the Codogno-Mantova railway line in the municipality of Tornata, in the province of Cremona.
The specialists of the 10th Engineer Guastatori Regiment, Cremona they intervened promptly, once again demonstrating their professionalism and competence. The device, despite having been buried for decades, was in an excellent state of preservation and still posed an active threat.
The operations to secure the bomb were carried out thanks to the synergy between all the institutional subjects involved, under the direction and coordination of the Prefecture of Cremona. Extraordinary measures were taken to ensure safety during the ordnance removal procedures: road traffic was interrupted on provincial roads SP31 and SP77, as well as on adjacent municipal roads for a radius of over 800 metres from the area of discovery. In addition, traffic on the Codogno-Mantova railway line and the affected airspace was temporarily suspended.
Once defused, the bomb was transferred to the quarry in New Demi in the municipality of Genivolta (CR)escorted by the Police Force. Here, the bomb disposal experts proceeded with the controlled blasting, permanently eliminating the threat.
The Italian Army Bomb Disposal Unit is constantly engaged in the clearance of explosive devices throughout the country. Only in 2023the bomb disposal units of the engineer regiments conducted 2,356 interventions, neutralising a total of 12,666 war remnantsincluding 21 aircraft bombs dating back to the world wars. The intervention in Tornata is just one of many examples of their fundamental work for the security of the country, demonstrating once again the effectiveness and dedication of the Armed Forces in dealing with emergency situations related to remnants of war.
