Unexploded bombs found in 1942 wrecks of U.S. Navy ships off coast of Canada

Divers discovered more than a dozen bombs and numerous artillery projectiles in the wrecks of two U.S. Navy ships off the coast of Canada, the Royal Canadian Navy said Thursday. 

The USS Pollux and USS Truxtun ran aground during a storm off of St. Lawrence Harbor, Newfoundland on Feb. 18, 1942, according to U.S. military records. They sank and more than 200 people died, with around 180 people making it safely to land.

“Loaded with Second World War ordnance, these shipwrecks now rest beneath the waves along Newfoundland’s coast,” the Royal Canadian Navy said. 

Divers from the Maritime Explosive Ordnance Disposal and the Port Inspection units recently surveyed the underwater debris of the wrecks, according to the Canadian force. The weapons they found have been left fragmented and weather beaten after decades of saltwater exposure and erosion. 

“A comprehensive examination is ongoing to assess the presence and potential risk of explosive materials,” the Royal Canadian Navy said. “Safety is our paramount concern – we spare no effort in our mission to safeguard the public.”

The Navy said its focus is on working to “navigate through history to secure our present.”

There have been fatalities and injuries related to unexploded ordnance, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Chemical exposures with related health impacts, come related to chemical warfare agents, have also been reported. 

Munitions could be disposed of at sea until 1970, when the practice was prohibited by the Department of Defense. Congress passed the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act banning ocean disposal of munitions and other pollutants in 1972. 

This week, the Department of Transportation warned people from interacting with certain shipwrecks in U.S. waters.