Inert Luftwaffe B1E Incendiary Bomb

This is an inert 2nd World War German B1E incendiary bomb, reportedly recovered from Portsmouth Harbour shortly after having been dropped during a major Luftwaffe air raid, during which some 25,000 incendiaries were dropped on what was to the Germans a high value strategic target. This particular bomb is believed to have missed its intended target, hitting the harbour wall defenses and landing in the sea. During a 1943 cleanup of remaining ordnance, this bomb was recovered and made safe. The short time spent in the water caused the magnesium alloy shell to corrode, leaving the steel base in surprisingly good condition.