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The Tallboy, also known as an “earthquake” bomb, weighed 12,000 pounds when dropped by the Royal Air Force during the last months of the war.
The bomb is the largest ever found in Poland and is believed to have been used in a raid on the German ship Lützow.
The Polish navy tried to deactivate it on Tuesday by deflagration, a method that involves heating an explosive until it burns, rather than detonating it, a spokesman for the Polish Defense Ministry told CNN.
But the bomb exploded in the canal near the port city of Swinoujscie, releasing a huge column of water.
The operation to remove the bomb began on Monday, when the Navy began moving residents and sent divers to evaluate it, the AFP news agency reported. About 750 residents were evacuated from the area.
The ministry spokesman told CNN that no injuries or damages were reported, adding: “Every step of the operation was under control.”
Nazi-occupied Poland suffered repeated bombardments by Allied aircraft during World War II, leaving many cities devastated.
The RAF dispatched several Lancaster bombers from its “Dambusters” squadron to launch 12 Tallboys at Lützow in April 1945, but one did not detonate.
