Chemical weapons found -- in the Baltic

Baltic Sea trawlers sometimes dredge up a disturbing memory along with their catch: corroding chemical weapons from World War II. . .

Tons of captured Nazi chemical munitions — including some containing mustard gas blister agents and the infamous Zyklon B used in concentration camps — rest on the Baltic seabed. Estimates on the amount dumped by the Allies range from at least 13,000 tons to more than 200,000 tons. . .

Some weapons were sent to the bottom on dozens of ships scuttled by the Allies. Other shells and containers were simply heaved overboard. At the time, it was considered the most expedient option to dispose of the dangerous arsenal, which included nerve agents such as tabun and stockpiles of mustard gas dating back to World War I. . .

The sunken Nazi weapons are concentrated in the North Sea northwest of Denmark and in the Baltic near the Danish island of Bornholm and south of the Swedish island of Gotland, experts said. But smaller pockets are scattered through the shallow Baltic, whose average depth is just 171 feet and often within the reach of fishing nets.

More than 50 artillery shells or bombs holding 3,300 pounds of active gas have been snagged by nets since 1995, according to Helsinki Commission studies. In 1985, seven fishermen were hospitalized in Copenhagen, Denmark, for exposure to an old mustard gas shell that leaked its content after it was hauled aboard their boat.

Posted by David on June 17, 2003 10:10 AM