Re: Preliminary Assessment of Munitions in San Diego Bay Primary Ship Channels

["Ricky S. Stauber" <rstauber@olg.com>]

Here ia some additional informatin concerning munitions in the San Diego
Channel.  As a military EOD technician stationed in San Diego from 1980
to 1985 I can tell you of one small story about Navy EOD operations.

In the early 1980's as a result of a side-scan sonor test that was
conducted in the channel near the Point Loma Light House a sunken ship
was discovered.  Navy divers who dove on the wreck discovered a WW2
period Lighter, (a small boat) which contained a large amount of what
was though to be small caliber artillery projectiles.  After placing
demolition charges on the wreck the resulting detonation that took place
indicated that there were alot more munitions there that were known to
be there.  The water spout shot a couple of hundred feet into the air,
killing thousands of fish in the area.

There was no idea as to why the wreck was there.  It seems that the US
Navy was Sea Dumping ordnance off the coast of Southern California
during the WW2 time period.

Ricky S. Stauber
Master EOD Technician
USA Ret.