Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission Expert Group on environmental risks of hazardous SUBMERGED 4-2016 submerged objects Tallinn, Estonia 12-14 April 2016 Document title German input to the Chapter on Warfare materials Code 3-1 Category DEC Agenda Item 3 – Warfare materials Submission date 22.3.2016 Submitted by Germany Reference Background The document includes a first draft of the translation (February 2016) of annex 10.2 of the report “Munitions in German Marine Waters - Stocktaking and Recommendations” (Effective: December, 5th, 2011) Link to the original annex 10.2 in German Language: http://www.schleswig- holstein.de/DE/UXO/TexteKarten/PDF/Berichte/anhang_10200.html Link to the report with annexes in German language: http://www.schleswig- holstein.de/DE/UXO/Themen/Fachinhalte/textekarten_Berichte.html Link to the abstract in English language: http://www.schleswig- holstein.de/DE/UXO/TexteKarten/PDF/blmp_kurzbericht_2011_EN.html - abridged translation (Effective: April 2012) Source: www.underwatermunitions.de Contact: [email protected] Action requested The Meeting is invited to use the material when drafting the chapter on warfare materials. Page 1 of 1 Contribution to HELCOM SUBMERGED 5 – Tallin First draft of the translation (February 2016) of annex 10.2 of the report “Munitions in German Marine Waters - Stocktaking and Recommendations” (Effective: December, 5th, 2011) Link to the original annex 10.2 in German Language: http://www.schleswig- holstein.de/DE/UXO/TexteKarten/PDF/Berichte/anhang_10200.html Link to the report with annexes in German language: http://www.schleswig- holstein.de/DE/UXO/Themen/Fachinhalte/textekarten_Berichte.html Link to the abstract in English language: http://www.schleswig- holstein.de/DE/UXO/TexteKarten/PDF/blmp_kurzbericht_2011_EN.html - abridged translation (Effective: April 2012) Source: www.underwatermunitions.de Contact: [email protected] 10.2.3.4. Baltic Sea - international waters BKB06L, BKB10L Baltic Sea, Little Belt and HELCOM Risk Area [DE/DK] ___________________________________________________________________ Details of all known facts Geographical location MVG BKB06L | 54,81 °N; 10,19 °E (WGS84) | ~ 4.180 ha1. MVF BKB10L | 54,81 °N; 10,17 °E (WGS84) | ~ 27.040 ha. Area is located south of the Little Belt. The water depth here is about 30 m. The sea floor is covered with silt and mud of a thickness up to 8 meters. The sedimentation rate in this area achieves from 1 to 2 mm / year. This would accumulate in 40 years to a thickness of about 8 cm. Due to the very soft, muddy sediments it is expected, that the dumped munitions has sunk into the sediment. The surface flow is predomi- nantly northwest and south-east directed at a speed of 0.5 knots to 1.0 knots. Attribute ___________________________________________________________________ Source Year Attribute ___________________________________________________________________ Burmeier 2010 V2 1 Unit: ha = (German) hectare, equals a square of 100 by 100 Meters = 0,01 km² 1 BLMP-Code 2011 BKB06L (MVG) bzw. BKB10L (MVF) Military history In the last days of the WW II two vessels of the German Navy with chemical warfare agent munitions were sunk in the entrance of the Little Belt. Dumped Munitions In addition, it is assumed that in the same period in these area also conventional mu- nitions has been dumped. These munitions where stored on board of the large num- ber of German navy and refugee ships and has been dumped on behalf of the Com- mand of the Allied forces. In addition to that one must reckoned with unexploded Allied bombs from air raid at- tacks. 69,000 tabun grenades and 5,000 t of bombs and shells filled with Tabun and phos- gene where dumped by the German Wehrmacht in the last days of WW II in 1945. The tabun 69,000 shells in the vessels were recovered in 1959/60 and immediately redumped in the Gulf of Biscay. It can be assumed, that the remaining munitions is here about 5,000 t bombs and shells, filled with Tabun and phosgene. The estimated warfare agent net quantity is estimated about 750 tons. Salvages/recovery Salvage operation of the vessels took place in 1959/1960 and the tabun filled gre- nades where secured in concrete and redumped in the Bay of Biscay. In the autumn of 1971 and spring of 1972 the German state EOD service and the German Federal Armed Forces scientist squad ordered to take samples of the remaining CWA muni- tions (phosgene and Tabun munitions: 28 bombs and 15 shells) salvaged the south exit of the Little Belt. Local risks In dumping site at the Little Belt only phosgene and Tabun munitions was dumped. Both agents are rapidly degraded in seawater: Even at 0 ° C aqueous phosgene so- lution is a 1% completely decomposed within 20 seconds. The half-life of tabun in salt water at a temperature of 7 ° C is about 5 hours. Neither durable arsenic warfare agents nor Zählost (thickened Mustard gas) where dumped in this area. Therefore, there is neither a posing risk related to released CWA for neither beach activities nor even for the marine environment or for fisherman here. As part of the 1971/72 carried out sample campaign in this area sampling salvage water and sediment samples were taken in the immediate vicinity of the recovered ammunition. No traces of war- fare agents could be detected. There is a low risk of catching single remaining shells during fish trawling activities, but the probability can assumed as low because of the high sedimentation rate and the thick layer of slit (up to 8 m). In addition to that, the predominantly dumped thin walled bombs and shells might corrode relatively fast. Although the fishing activity is high in this area consequently no accidents related to CWA with fisherman became public since than. In recent decades, only two empty 2 CWA bombs were caught in Fischer nets in the year 1992. Sampling salvage during the years 1971-72 showed, that most of the munitions (28 bombs and 15 shells), had sunk about 50 cm into the mud, was destroyed by corrosion and contained no war- fare agent anymore. Precautionary measures The location of the dumping ground is marked in official sea charts. BPB17L Baltic Sea, routes to Bornholm Deep ___________________________________________________________________ Details of all known facts The authors J. SCHULZ-Ohlberg, W. & F. Lemke TAUBER published in 2003 the article „Tracing dumped chemical munitions in Pomeranian Bay (Baltic Sea) at former transport routes to the dumping areas off Bornholm Island”. Report of HELCOM-Muni, 2013 (BSEP 142: http://www.helcom.fi/Lists/Publications/BSEP142.pdf Geographical location MVF BPB17L | 54,21 °N; 13,98 °E (WGS84) | ~ 20.780 ha (Area in the Baltic Sea). Attribute ___________________________________________________________________ Source Year Attribute ___________________________________________________________________ BLMP-Code 2011 BPB17L (MVF) Military history After numerous witnesses warfare agent munitions were dumped on the access shipping ways of the Baltic Sea port of Wolgast to the dumping site east of Bornholm. The quantities and the exact locations are unknown. Dumped Munitions It is assumed, that in the Bornholm Basin approximately 35,000 t bombs and shells filled with mustard gas, and Zählost (thickened Mustard gas), arsenical warfare agents (Clark I, Clark II, Adamsite), possibly with N- Lost, phosgene, Tabun, chloro- 3 acetophenone and Zyklon B where dumped. In addition to that - prompted by the So- viet military administration in Germany (SMAD) - in the years 1947 to 1948 200 t of CWA where dumped by the GDR authorities in the years 1952-1965. Salvages/recovery Local risks Since no information on the quantities and type of the dumped munitions on the transport routes are present, only a rough estimate can be made of the potential hazard: The warfare agent composition is probably similar to the composition in the Bornholm Basin. So it can be expected a threat to the fisheries by hydrolyzed Lost, building lumps under a rubber like skin. The relatively shallow water area slightly in- creases the likelihood of catches of munitions or lost– lumps. On the other hand, the probability for catches is less because the density per unit area will be less than in the designated dumping site. Precautionary measures 10.2.3.5. Baltic Sea off Schleswig-Holstein General Description In the whole area of the coastline of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has to be reckoned with munitions remnants of WW II. This area was for example in the field of operation of the Allied Air Force, which conducted both mas- sive bombing raids and fighter-bomber attacks on Harbors and ships till 05 May 1945th. In Eckernförde Bay for example torpedoes were developed and tested by the German Navy Research and Development Center (Torpedo Versuchsanstalt - TVA) and later calibrated in Neustadt Bay by the Submarine Torpedoes School with shots for training purposes. Here an increased number of torpedoes can be expected. BFF01S Flensburg, Fahrensodde ___________________________________________________________________ Details of all known facts Geographical location MVF BFF01S | 54,82 °N; 9,46 °E (WGS84) | ~ 6 ha. The Area is located on the southern shore of Flensburg Fjord, the harbor Flensburg to Mürwik. One focus of the explosive ordnance disposal was directly on the beach west of the marina Mürwik until about 350 meters out into the fjord. 4 Attribute ___________________________________________________________________ Source Year Attribute ___________________________________________________________________ Burmeier 2010 O1 BLMP-Code 2011 BFF01S (MVF) Military history The district of Mürwick was the location of many important institutions of the German Navy. Between the landmarks Fahrensodde and Kielseng also a number of bunkers had been built into the high cliffs of the fjord. At the Northeast exit of the Flensburg harbour in the so called “Camp Kielseng” was a stockpile for munition located since the beginning of 1945. This camp has beared although the later in the Little Belt dumped bombs with the warfare agent phosgene and grenades (calibre 10.5 and 15.5 cm) with the warfare agent Tabun.