Everything that would happen if 'doomsday wreck' in Thames exploded as it comes close to collapse
Sitting off the coast of a town in Kent is the mostly submerged wreck of a US ship from World War II that sank while carrying a huge amount of explosives.
All the way back on 20 August, 1944, the SS Richard Montgomery (named for a general who died trying and failing to take Quebec during the American Revolution) ran aground just off the coast of Sheerness.
The ship had departed Philadelphia the previous month after having been loaded with thousands of tonnes of weapons which were intended to supply Allied troops as they forced the Nazis out of France after D-Day.
Much of the ship's deadly cargo was removed, but five days later the vessel broke in half and mostly sank just off the Kent coast with only the top of the masts poking above the waterline.
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However, it's those same masts which decades later threaten to turn the SS Richard Montgomery into a 'doomsday' wreck.
What we know about the 'doomsday' wreck
Now, before we lose our heads, the 'doomsday' scenario here is not the end of the world but it could be a very awful day for the residents of Sheerness and anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity.
While many of the explosives were removed from the ship before it sank, there are still around 1,400 tonnes of unexploded munitions on board the wreck.
The concern is that the masts look as though they could finally fall, at which point they might ignite the cargo and cause a huge explosion.
The seas around the sunken ship are littered with buoys warning other vessels to stay away, while for a nautical mile around the site aircraft are not allowed to go below 13,100 ft.
There have been plans in place for several years to remove the masts, but Kent Online reports that a number of delays have occurred including the discovery of bombs on the seabed.
What would happen if it exploded
An explosion has been a concern for a long time, and ITV previously reported that the worst case scenario could trigger a tsunami in the Thames estuary.
Back in 2022, the Ministry of Defence warned that the masts collapsing risked 'mass damage and potential loss of life'.
They calculated that the worst kind of explosion could lead to a column of water 300 metres wide and throw debris up to 3,000ft in the air.
The surrounding coastline could also be battered by waves around five metres high and could trigger a 'minor tsunami'.
New Scientist warns that the blast would end up being one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in the world, and being so close to a liquefied natural gas terminal at the nearby Isle of Grain would make things even worse.
They point out that supertankers carrying natural gas sail as close as 200 metres when they go by the wreckage, and even one bomb going off could cause a chain reaction among the rest of the remaining payload.
Where it would impact
The water thrown up would likely hit Sheerness and the Isle of Grain, with a government report from 2000 warning that the worst case scenario would 'put property and the local population at risk'.
It'd also be a bad day to be at sea and sailing past the wreckage should detonation occur.
In better news on the situation, the Department for Transport, the ministry responsible for looking after the wreck, says the Montgomery's condition remains 'stable'.
A spokesperson said: “Our priority will always be to ensure the safety of the public and to reduce any risk posed by the SS Richard Montgomery. The condition of the wreck remains stable, and experts are continuing to monitor the site.
“As part of their ongoing monitoring, they have updated advice on how authorities can further minimise risk. They have recommended that pilots and operators do not fly in a limited area around and above the site as specified by the Civil Aviation Authority.”
LADbible Group has contacted the Department for Transport for additional comment.
Topics: UK News, World War 2
Joe Harker