Removing three masts makes a wartime wreck safer

People living near Sheerness have one less risk hanging over a wartime wreck. Engineers have removed all three masts from the SS Richard Montgomery, reducing the strain on a ship that still contains an estimated 1,400 tonnes of munitions.

The cargo ship sank in the Thames estuary in 1944. As its structure deteriorated, experts feared the masts could collapse onto the cargo. Removing them addresses that specific danger.

The Department for Transport says the specialist project finished ahead of schedule and below forecast costs, through collaboration with American maritime officials, industry and local partners.

The explosives remain, so the site still needs careful management. The shipping exclusion zone and flying restrictions continue. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency explains that regular sonar surveys help track changes to the wreck and surrounding seabed.

The recovered masts have gone to the Historic Dockyard Chatham for conservation. A difficult engineering job has reduced a known hazard while preserving part of the estuary’s wartime history.

Sources

• Department for Transport — SS Richard Montgomery mast removal project
• The Guardian — Masts removed from bomb-laden WWII ship
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency — Wreck background and monitoring