Civil war era Nazi bomb detonated underwater in Costa Brava

A bomb squad detonated a Spanish Civil war era Nazi bomb off the coast of the Costa Brava town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols on Tuesday. 

Scuba divers found the explosive 280 meters from the port during the early-December holidays, also known as 'El Pont de la Puríssima.'

The operation started around 11:30 am and required numerous controlled explosions. The 16.4kg bomb, a 'negrilla' or 'black one,' was used by the military personnel from the Nazi German airforce, the Condor Legion.

Luís Jiménez, a neighbor from the nearby town of Palafrugell, was the first to see the bomb after descending beneath the waves.

The explosive was covered with sealife and seaweed. On their return to the port, they warned the Spanish Guardia Civil police authority that later detonated it on Tuesday.

After "cleaning" the explosive with a small detonation, experts needed two more small explosions to neutralize the missile on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Authorities restricted sailing within a mile's radius of the bomb and did not allow boats to enter or leave the port during the operation. 

Not a unique situation

Discovering a Spanish Civil war bomb off the Catalan coast is nothing new. In recent years, many sightings have been reported and many controlled explosions conducted. 

This does not come as a surprise because Catalonia was a constant target during the civil war between 1936-1939.

In Barcelona, residents used to take cover during the air raids in the roughly 1,000 bomb shelters found across the city. 

These underground bunkers were the only solution to the bombings from above for a continuous period of time which helped save many lives, as Catalan News reported in January 2022.