What Is It???? (Unknown Ordinance)

[bsmart]

Okay folks The attached picture was just sent to me by my sister. Her son just bought a house in Rock Hall MD (a Shore town on Maryland's Eastern Shore.) They found this at the house they just bought. The previous owner was a fisherman and the same family owned the house for at least 50 years (I think closer to 80)

They say there is a hint of light blue paint at the base of the spike on the nose. The center part is very rusty and heavy 'seems to be made from Iron' was my nephews comment over the phone. I believe it is naval in origin probably an AntiSubmarine training round from a Hedgehog launcher (forward throwing Spigot mortar).

I have told her to call the local police and tell them they have a piece of unknown ordinance at a house they just bought. I told her it can probably wait til tomorrow to call.

[Doug_Kibbey]

I sure wish they'd chosen to photograph in situ rather than handling, but the blue paint is reassuring.

Then again, you never know.

[bsmart]

II agree fully. I finally got them to send me a picture after the third phone call. The first started out
[Phone Rings, I pick up] Hello?
Sister - What do you know about Bombs? (I know they do a reastraunt Trivia challange on Friday nights so I figured it had to do with that)

Me - I don't know what country and when?

Sister - Well Drew (my nephew) found one that is about two and a half feet long when he was cleaning out the nethouse. He thinks Miss Jinny's husband caught it when he was fishing (Miss Jinny is probably 80 years old, her husband has been dead for years)

Me - Is there any paint on it? what color? (I'm thinking let it be blue let it be blue. They are across the bay From Aberdeen and up and across the Bay from Naval Air Station Pax River)

She relays the question - They think it is rusty but there seems to be yellow stripes around the front of it

Me - (Thinking what has yellow stripes) Uhhh What do the fins look like? is the nose smooth or does there seem to be something cscrewed into it?

Her - There is like a spike coming out the nose. and it has six or eight fins around the tail

Me - is the spike sharp and pointy?

Her - No the end is about the size of a quarter and flat

(Now I'm thinking some kind of HEAT round but six or eight fins?)

Me - Where is it?

Her - Outside leaning against the Heating oil tank

Me - (S%#T ) [I can also hear my two nephews joking in the background) - Okay I am dead serious now. I'm worried I was hoping you would say it was blue but now I'm afraid it may actually be filled with explosives. How big in diameter is it?

(I hear her ask) It's about 4-6 inches in diameter

I'm thinking what HEAT rounds have a stand off. 4-6"? 106mm? but fins? an ATGM?

Me - I think you should call the Police tonight. Tell them you think you found a piece of unexploded ordinance at your new house. Don't be surprised if they come out with lights on. Call me back when you get a chance and let me know

They called back about ten minutes later. 'Drew went out with a flashlight and says what he thought was yellow paint is rust. There is a little blue paint on the front near the spike

He took a picture (then they sent me the picture) I called them when I looked at it and said "WHY DID HE PICK IT UP???"

The fins are bare metal 'a nickle like finish' I told them it would probably be okay to wait till tomorrow to call but to lay it on the ground and leave it alone

[Doug_Kibbey]

#!&*^#!

[bsmart]

If it wasn't a 3 hour ride to get there I would be on my way to check it out ( and keep my nephews from playing 'toss the bomb' )

[Joe_D]

It's either a training 105mm M490 HEAT-T or training 120mm M831 HEAT-T tank round. INERT and harmless once fired. Spike is aluminum and body is Steel. Later M490A1's and M831A1's dispensed with the fin and boom assembly. Leaning toward 120mm M831 since I don't see a copper rotating band. Nice souvenir, since this one looks like it didn't hit anything hard to distort the spike. Dragging it up out of the bay would explain that.

[JWB2]

I looks like the copper driving band has been removed somehow from the round. Look near the rear just forward of where the tail fin assy is attached and notice the empty groove. My guess is the round was fired, band fell or was driven off, then projo just went on its merry way........

Her - Outside leaning against the Heating oil tank

At first I was ROTFLMAO. Then I got that pucker effect when I realized how close the oil tank might be to the house.

[Dontos]

Bob

I seems like a training 105mm HEAT round. It seems too short for the 120mm.

This is a photo of me holding a 120mm training HEAT round taken back in 1989.



Regards
Don

[SHAWN]

Glad no one was injured! and that I hadnt been out on the bay when it made it's aquatic debut... Can only imagine what else is down there...

How did it go with the local PD?
SR

[bsmart]

I called my sister this morning about 7:30 and gave her JoeD's assesment. So the police were not called and my nephew is planning on hanging it in his 'ManCave' I suggested that since there is an M60 at the VFW on the other side of town they should figure what the angle from the tank would be and mount it on the wall as if it was just coming through!

I'm still wondering how it got there. I don't know of any training areas in the region (AP Hill is probably the closest and it is way down the bay and up a river) So I'm assuming it came from Aberdeen

[Doug_Kibbey]

I love happy endings.