CHEMICAL WEAPON BURIED IN THE BALTIC SEA AFTER II WORLD WAR
About 300,000 tons of ammunition and poisonous substances was flooded by Allies in the Baltic
Sea after the Second World War. Water has been corroding the missiles for more than 60 years. If
no one takes action to fix the problem, the world will face unprecedented environmental disaster.
Background
After the Second World War, the Allies discovered huge stockpiles of chemical weapons on
the occupied territory of Germany. It was estimated that there was found around 300,000 tones of
chemical materials. At the Postdam Conference, 1945, it was decided to destroy all captured
chemical weapons. The main reason of such decision was to prevent the possible diversion. A small
part of it was utilized at the German chemical plants. The largest part of weapons was dumped in
the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Strait (southwest coast of Sweden and southeast coast of Norway).
Dumping was seen as a cheaper, faster and safer way to liquidate the weapon, comparing to land-
based disassembly and decontamination procedures. In some cases, warfare materials were loaded
in German military ships which were sent to the bottom. In other cases, munitions were thrown
overboard while ships were en route.
At least 170,000 tones were dumped in Skagerrak Strait. Approximately 50,000 tones were
dumped in the Baltic Sea. The most important dumpsites are located in the Little Belt, near the
island of Bornholm, and in the Gotland basin. It is known that Soviets during the transportation of
the munitions to Bornholm just threw it overboard while the ships were en route. There is a
common version that all those German ships Soviets left for themselves. However, Multibeam and
ROV investigations indicated in 2001 that there were three shipwrecks on the bottom, though it
wasn`t proved that these ships actually transported any weapon. The problem is that some
munitions were dumped in wooden cases, so they probably were removed by flow far away from
the area where they were thrown out. As a result, the secret of the burial place of 35,000 tons of
chemical weapon, flooded by the Soviet Union, is hidden in the silent waters of the Baltic Sea.
Location of the munition dumpsited in the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak. 1 – Bornholm dumpsite; 2 –
Gotland dumpsite; 3 – Måseskär dumpsite.
What are potential threats?
As reported by MERCW project, the chemical welfare agents can be classified into
following groups:
– tear gases (lachrymators): chloroacetophenone (CAP);
– nose and throat irritants: Clark I, Clark II, Adamsite;
– lung irritants: phosgene, diphosgene;
– blister gases (vesicants): sulphur mustard, nitrogen mustard, Lewisite;
