34 replies to this topic

[Drenthe]

Found these items, with the exception of the gun, this weekend. Am I correct in identifying the american bazooka round? It has a very thin wire attached to the back of it. The bullets all appear to be Garand and M-1 carbine.
I located the grenade in a hole in the rocks and was a bit startled when I reached into the hole and felt the surface of this item. I then shined my flashlight down there and found the grenade. Can anyone help me any further with the ID of the grenade? I also located what I believe to be two B-29 engines, a landing gear and fuselage scrap. Can anyone identify this from my poor photos.
Am hoping to get back out there and take some better pics with a good camera.
We found four of these guns along the beach and what appears to be the wreckage of a boat. Any ideas on what they are?

Just figured out that I am having problems wth photos that are too large. Will try to resolve it and post pics later.

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[Drenthe]

More pics

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[Drenthe]

Last pic.

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[robinb]

US 2.36" bazooka rocket, US MK2 fragmentation grenade. Can't see enough of the gun to tell what it is.

[kjones5452]

Heck of a job in finding all that. :thumbsup:

[Dave]

Last pic.

Holy cow! An aircraft engine! Where did you find this stuff????

[Drenthe]

Sorry, I should have mentioned this first - I am on the island of Saipan. I also just viewed a youtube video of this B-29 wreckage that another member was kind enough to point out to me. Just search B-29 crash Saipan.
I will try to get back out and take better photos of the big gun and the other three that are laying along with it. This one is a photo of a friend with another gun.

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[Drenthe]

US 2.36" bazooka rocket, US MK2 fragmentation grenade. Can't see enough of the gun to tell what it is.

Thank you! The rocket really stumped me. Can you tell if it detonated?
I am trying to figure out how this little battle occurred. So far it looks like the Marines were in the bottom of a gorge surrounded by jungle, large rocks and cliffs. They were firing quite a few rounds and this rocket was found buried in that area. The soil is completely saturated with iron oxide from rusting shrapnel, mess kits, bullets, etc. There were also a few dated 1944 Coke bottles and beer bottles laying around.
Have yet to find where the Japanese were firing from.

[gwb123]

I believe that large weapon your friend is holding is Japanese. Not sure if it is a heavy machine gun or a light anti-aircraft weapon.

I hope someone has coached and cautioned you about handling handgrenades and other unexploded ordnance you may be finding.

It's stunning those items are still out there. This is a great counterpoint to the postings we receive from our members in Europe who do battlefield archeology.

[Linedoggie]

Might the Cannon be the M2 used in the tail position of the B-29A?

Hispano-Suiza .404

[hbtcoveralls]

it does appear to be the US 20mm, also used on the P-61 black Widow. The area you discribed that you found the items "bottom of a gorge surrounded by jungle, large rocks and cliffs." and "full of "shrapnel, mess kits, bullets, etc. There were also a few dated 1944 Coke bottles and beer bottles laying around. " sounds to me to have been some kind of a dump, rather than a battlefield. The USAAF at the time was a little more than careless where they dumped their trash and what they considered trash.
Tom Bowers

[Misanthropic_Gods]

Very interesting...I just LOVE threads with pics of relic finds..everything I could ID has been already, so a little bump for ya!

[Drenthe]

it does appear to be the US 20mm, also used on the P-61 black Widow. The area you discribed that you found the items "bottom of a gorge surrounded by jungle, large rocks and cliffs." and "full of "shrapnel, mess kits, bullets, etc. There were also a few dated 1944 Coke bottles and beer bottles laying around. " sounds to me to have been some kind of a dump, rather than a battlefield. The USAAF at the time was a little more than careless where they dumped their trash and what they considered trash.
Tom Bowers

You are correct about the military being careless with their trash. There are still 500 lb bombs laying around on Naftan and Marpi points. I guess it is hard to say whether this is a skirmish site or a dump site. I have seen a few dump sites and they are pretty large, but I am sure that there are small ones too. Most of the dumps sites appear to have been burned and were so hot that glass melted. This didnt have that, but whose to say.

[Dirt Detective]

Thank you! The rocket really stumped me. Can you tell if it detonated?

Great pics... :thumbsup: yes the warhead on the rocket is gone, when the bazooka rockets exploded the tail and shaft remained.

[Drenthe]

Great pics... :thumbsup: yes the warhead on the rocket is gone, when the bazooka rockets exploded the tail and shaft remained.

Thank you. That is what I suspected. There was some shrapnel around the area where it hit the rock face. It appeared that it blew a hole that was approx. 18" deep, 24" high and 30" across. This rock is very porous and sharp and it would have been a bad deal to be anywhere in the area when it went off.

[Dave]

Sorry, I should have mentioned this first - I am on the island of Saipan. I also just viewed a youtube video of this B-29 wreckage that another member was kind enough to point out to me. Just search B-29 crash Saipan.
I will try to get back out and take better photos of the big gun and the other three that are laying along with it. This one is a photo of a friend with another gun.

I've been to Saipan before...quite an interesting place! Is the sherman tank still out in the water off the landing beach? I've had a few beers at one of the bars right there on the beach and watched the sunset...very nice!

Dave

[Drenthe]

I've been to Saipan before...quite an interesting place! Is the sherman tank still out in the water off the landing beach? I've had a few beers at one of the bars right there on the beach and watched the sunset...very nice!

Dave

Yes, there are still two tanks that are visible in the lagoon and there is nothing like watching the sunsets out here in the Pacific. I make a point of doing it almost every evening, with a good cigar and scotch on ice or a diet coke when my wife gets on me :crybaby: .

[Drenthe]

I believe that large weapon your friend is holding is Japanese. Not sure if it is a heavy machine gun or a light anti-aircraft weapon.

I hope someone has coached and cautioned you about handling handgrenades and other unexploded ordnance you may be finding.

It's stunning those items are still out there. This is a great counterpoint to the postings we receive from our members in Europe who do battlefield archeology.

I know that if you pull the pin it will explode and thats about it. I dont touch the grenades that still have the tops (fuse?) on them. It would be fun to recover some, but I would definitely need some coaching.
There are also mortar rounds and large projectiles that appear to have rifling on them, others which are rounded on the top, smooth surface and appear to be solid steel. Too many different ones to describe.
I will keep taking pictures on my boonie stomps and will post them here.

[Chunky Monkey]

Interesting thread ~ looking forward to more pics!

[1944]

That's Amazing that all the Equipment are just still laying around there like that
after all of those years very nice to see great pictures and Great Thread :thumbsup: ..

[Drenthe]

This is a Japanese fuse for some type of bomb. Can anyone supply any more specifics?

I also learned of some more caves that I will be exploring this weekend and they are supposed to have a lot of relics. Will post with pics if I am fortunate enough to find them.

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Edited by Drenthe, 13 December 2010 - 08:17 PM.

[robinb]

Looks like a knee mortar round fuse.

[Drenthe]

Looks like a knee mortar round fuse.

Hopefully I will run across a complete mortar round this weekend and can make a comparison. Is this a contact fuse?

[painter777]

Drenthe,
After reading this post I had to add a link on another forum with your finds.
In turn, A member there has posted a link to his photo album showing his finds in the same area.
Two different forums..... but combined it makes a great post about these relics.

Here's a link to it....
http://www.milsurps....ead.php?t=27241

Be Safe,
Charlie-painter777

[Drenthe]

Drenthe,
After reading this post I had to add a link on another forum with your finds.
In turn, A member there has posted a link to his photo album showing his finds in the same area.
Two different forums..... but combined it makes a great post about these relics.

Here's a link to it....
http://www.milsurps....ead.php?t=27241

Be Safe,
Charlie-painter777

Thanks for the link. Looks like Peleliu will be one of my stops next year!