There are those times when even well-proven technology must give way to the needs of a new era. Such was the case at the outset of World War II. There were dozens of Third System fortresses equipped with cast- and wrought-iron artillery pieces, all of which had been rendered obsolete by more modern military technology. BUT, the metals of which these older artillery pieces were constructed was still quite valuable, so hundreds of once-formidable instruments of war were blown to pieces so that their metals might be melted down and re-used. Seen here are fragments of a 15-inch Rodman Columbiad that was blasted apart for metal salvage. These particular fragments never made it through the re-cycling process.
