Work to Start for Removal of Masts From Famous WWII Wreck off UK
The UK Government confirmed that the project to remove the masts from a famous World War II shipwreck in the Thames Estuary has been commissioned at a cost of £9.5 million ($12.7 million). The project, which will start in July and proceed in September, seeks to remove three masts from a World War II American liberty ship that is still loaded with explosives and stabilize the wreck.
The SS Richard Montgomery has become a famous local tourist attraction, lying 1.5 miles off Sheerness in the Thames Estuary. Only the masts of the vessel remain above the surface, while the hull of the 440-foot (135-meter) vessel has broken in two and lies on the seafloor.
One of more than 2,700 WWII-built Liberty ships, a standardized design that the U.S. mass-produced to meet the needs for cargo and troops in World War II, the Richard Montgomery was commissioned in 1943 as a 10,000 dwt vessel used for cargo. Her fateful voyage began in August 1944 when she was loaded with nearly 7,000 tons of munitions. Upon her arrival in the UK, she was assigned an anchorage in the shallow Thames Estuary near the Sheerness Middle Sands. She was waiting for a convoy to proceed to Cherbourg, but on August 20, 1944, during a storm, she dragged anchor and grounded.
A salvage effort ensued, and by most estimates, at least half of the munitions were salvaged by September 25, 1944. However, the ship broke her back, and as the water rose, the efforts had to be abandoned. More recent UK surveys have estimated that there are approximately 1,400 tons of explosives contained within the forward holds.
The masts are all that remain above the water and have become a familiar marker to locals (MCA)
Officials call her “one of the United Kingdom’s most closely monitored wreck sites.” Regular surveys have been conducted, and by the early 2000s, concerns began to be raised about the deteriorating condition of the vessel. The two forward mats, which stick out of the water, are attached near the holds, and fears are growing that they will topple over. One concern is that they could displace or even cause an explosion of some of the munitions still onboard.
Resolve Marine was selected in 2025 to lead the salvage operation. The UK’s Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency report detailed planning has been undertaken. They are working carefully to remove the masts for preservation while also not increasing the risk posed by the remaining explosives on board.
Rendering of the wreck based on multibeam and laser data from the 2013 survey report (MCA)
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Work will begin in July and will involve building an underwater platform. The masts will be dismantled and then sent to The Historic Dockyard Chatham, where specialists will oversee the preservation process. They expect the project to be completed by the end of September, but it could be delayed by weather conditions.
The government acknowledges that the masts had become a visible symbol and reminder to the local communities. It is committed to placing the masts on display in the area as another way of telling the story of the Allied war effort.
