Crews Remove Masts From Thames Wreck to Reduce Structural Load
The three masts of the SS Richard Montgomery have been cut away, but the 1,500 tons of munitions remain submerged.
By Malik Salazar ·
Crews have finished removing the three masts from the SS Richard Montgomery, a World War II shipwreck sitting in the Thames Estuary.
The operation was designed to reduce the structural load on the rusting vessel and lower the chance of a catastrophic failure. Officials confirmed the work is complete.
The SS Richard Montgomery ran aground off Sheerness in August 1944. It was one of 2,700 ships built in the United States to support the Allied war effort. The ship carried munitions intended for use after the D-Day landings. It broke apart during salvage attempts and sank with an estimated 1,500 tons of explosives in its holds.
For decades, the masts were visible above the waterline. Recent surveys showed the structure was deteriorating. Engineers feared the masts could collapse and impact the cargo. Nolan Conway, a naval architect with Resolve Marine Group, noted that the vessel had begun to lean. He said the main fear was that falling masts could detonate the munitions. Conway added that some of the explosives are believed to have pressure fuses, making an impact potentially dangerous.
The team used a custom lifting frame to raise each mast without swinging or swaying the wreck. They also deployed a remotely operated underwater diamond-wire saw. This tool clamps around the mast with hydraulic arms and cuts through it. The method allowed workers to avoid sending divers into the water.
Keir Mather, the U.K. maritime minister, told the House of Commons that the project finished ahead of schedule. The total cost was just under $13 million. Mather stated that the masts placed a significant load on the structure. Removing them supports the long-term safe management of the site.
The explosives remain in place because removing them carries considerable risks. Experts disagree on the potential impact of a detonation. Conway said estimates range from shoreline damage to a tidal wave traveling up the Thames. Some models suggest a minor event that would only close a nearby shipping channel. Officials continue to judge the overall chance of an explosion as low.
The government maintains an exclusion zone around the wreck, which lies about 1.5 miles off the Sheerness coast. Mather said the site will continue to be subject to continuous monitoring and control through that zone. The masts have been moved to the Historic Dockyard Chatham museum. They will be displayed to recognize the ship's role in supporting Allied forces during the war.
The SS Richard Montgomery now sits entirely below the waterline. It remains in the location where it came to rest more than 80 years ago.
