Four 75-mm mustard rounds recovered in 2006 at a clam processing plant. Note how some shells are nearly pristine, while the one on the bottom is heavily encrusted.

Diagram of 75-mm chemical projectile.

The 1919 Voyage of The USS elinor

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AbstractAt the end of World War I, nations faced the challenge of safely disposing of excess war materials, including chemical and conventional munitions. The United States had a significant inventory of excess, obsolete, or unserviceable military munitions. Concerns about the safe storage of chemical munitions and chemical agents (referred to as chemical warfare material (CWM)) were not new. Disposal options for CWM were limited to open burning, burial on land or sea disposal. Sea disposal, which at the time was an accepted international practice, was believed to be the best option.

The USS Elinor, which returned to the United States from Europe in 1919, subsequently transited from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay to New York Harbor between 11 and 14 February, disposing her cargo of CWM along the way.

Over the past few years, commercial fishermen have recovered about a dozen, 75-mm munitions (mustard rounds). Although the USS Elinor disposed of 75-mm munitions, the US Army may never know if she was the source of these rounds.

IntroductionOn July 19, 2004, a police officer noticed what appeared to be a munition leaning against a post in rural Delaware. A US Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit responded, collected and transported a 75-millimeter projectile to a nearby operational range for destruction. When the destruction did not cause a secondary detonation, the EOD unit checked the destroyed round, subsequently suffering mustard agent burns.

Finding a chemical round far from any known chemical warfare material (CWM) site was a mystery. A review of previous incidents revealed numerous recoveries of conventional munitions from driveways on which crushed clamshells from seafood processing plants were used as a low-cost paving material.

Surf Clams are harvested using hydraulic dredges at water depths up to 200 feet. Although, munitions and other debris collected with the clams are normally returned to the ocean. Occasionally, munitions are found mixed with clams as they begin processing a catch. Given these discoveries, several questions remained:

Where did the chemical munition originate?

How did it get there, and are there any more?

USS ElinorArchive research led to the 1919 voyage of the USS Elinor. The USS Elinor was one of four vessels that undertook special preparations in October 1918 to allow “for carrying of gas cargo.” The USS Elinor arrived in Baltimore in January 1919 after sailing from France. On February 10, she left Baltimore Harbor and proceeded down the Chesapeake Bay. The Washington Post

Kathy CiolfiUS Army Research Development and Engineering CommandAberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA

reported that the ship was “taking aboard 2,100 tons of mustard and asphyxiating gas, manufactured for use against the Hun [a term that was applied to the Germans during World War I], but now rendered a dangerous and costly “white elephant” by signing of the armistice.” The New York Times reported that the cargo consisted of “some large drums and 200,000 shells” of “mustard gas and chloropicrin” brought back from France.

On February 11, about 40 nautical miles beyond the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in 102 feet of water, the USS Elinor began over-the-side disposal of her cargo of 75-mm mustard shells. Phosgene drums were disposed in 2,400 feet of water about 70 nautical miles beyond the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

Geoffrey CartonCALIBRE Systems, Inc.Alexandria, VA, USA

Between February 11 and 14, the USS Elinor transited from the Chesapeake Bay to New York Harbor, disposing of her cargo of drums and munitions along the way. Unfortunately, the logbook does not provide exact positions during much of the disposal operation. The New York Times reported USS Elinor’s cargo of CWM from Baltimore was “dumped deep enough not to have any effect on navigation and far enough at sea not to have any effect on the coast.” Plans were to dispose of all drums of poison gas at sea, once the armistice was signed.

RecoveriesIn 2006, six additional 75-mm mustard rounds were recovered at the seafood processing plant and it was possible to identify the approximate recovery location. This site corresponds well with the USS Elinor’s projected course. In 2010, two fishermen were exposed to mustard from munitions recovered to the east of the USS Elinor’s projected course. Although there is no way of knowing if any recovered munitions were from the USS Elinor, it is certain that her munitions remain on the sea floor.

ConclusionBecause sea disposal of waste, including munitions, was routine, and many military records have a retention period of only a few years before being destroyed, only a limited number of these records are available. Reportedly, fishermen regularly recover munitions and quietly return them to the deep. Given the number of munitions disposed, this will likely continue in the foreseeable future. The Army has expanded its explosive safety education program to inform the maritime community of the potential hazards associated with munitions. Due to advances in technology and expansion of the use of the oceans into areas once thought of as beyond human reach or of little value, the international community faces another unintended consequence of its past actions.

USS Elinor track from Baltimore to New York Harbor, 10-19 February 1919. Red dots are known coordinates where chemical munitions were disposed overboard, according to the ship’s log. The dashed line approximates the course the ship took during the time where no coordinates where provided in the ship’s log.

Example of an over-the-side disposal operation.