Japanese Aerial Bomb Explodes on Guadalcanal

Jimmy Nuake adds
"We have been excavating river gravel along the Lunga River right across Betikama High School on the eastern bank of the Lunga River. We believe that the bomb must have come from there because that is the only place we are currently extracting gravel. Our aggregate crushing plant is located next to the western end of the airport not very far from the old WWII watch tower. Would you be able to identify this bomb for me? I'm not sure whether it's a Japanese or an American bomb. This bomb exploded inside our aggregate crushing plant at Lunga, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands on Wednesday 2nd November 2005. Witnesses said that it exploded with a huge fire. Some said that it's a sulphuric bomb as it left traces of yellow substance. I will donate it to the Solomon Islands Museum "

Don MacArthur adds:
"The bomb is a Type 98 No.7 Model 1 Navy fire bomb. It contained four thermite filled fire pots and a black powder charge in a recess in the nose piece. Two rows of 10 rivets each. It had 81 pounds of filling, hence the yellow powder.

Stan Gajda adds:
"The bomb is a Japanese 65kg HE aerial bomb. It seems the rear fuse exploded without initiating the main charge. They are lucky or would have blown the crusher to hell. The yellow substance is the Picric Acid explosive filling. Dust from this explosive when wet stains anything in contact with it bright yellow. I have one of these bombs in my junk in Tarawa and I have seen several casings in Nauru. The sheet steel tail fins are missing which are welded on. Probably rusted away."

The same type of bomb? Photo via Peter Flahavin

Special thanks to Peter Flahavin and Ewan Stevenson for additional research.