What caught my eye...
Royal Navy set to dismantle sunken ‘bomb ship’ in London’s River Thames
Stories like this one never fail to grab media attention, and for good reason in my opinion for they are genuinely fascinating. One wonders why nearly 80 years after the vessel sank in low water, close to shore, that no attempt has been made to remove the wreck and its potentially deathly hazard.
Anyway, The Royal Navy has been called in to help cut the masts from a sunken cargo ship in the River Thames, after the latest survey revealed decay could trigger a deadly explosion of 1,400 tonnes of explosives on board. And that sounds potentially catastrophic.
The SS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship, which ran aground on the Nore sandbank in the Thames Estuary in August 1944, during World War II. Despite attempts to remove its dangerous cargo, the ship’s hull cracked, and it sank off Medway in Kent.
The latest survey found the ship’s three masts were deteriorating and in a poor state. Reports have found cracks in the vessel’s hull are increasing, prompting fears that further decay to the wreck could trigger an explosion that would “throw a 300 metre-wide column of water and debris nearly 3,000 metres into the air and generate a wave 5 metres high”, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Navy specialists trained in underwater demolitions have been called in to advise government
sub-contractor Briggs
Marine on safety matters as it dismantles the masts in a two-month operation.
In a statement, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said:
“Ongoing
monitoring and assessment of the SS Richard Montgomery has identified that the masts may be placing undue strain on the rest of the vessel structure.”
A sonar image of the wreck site
Mike Schwarz casts his
eye back over last month’s eye-catching and
eventful marine news
The SS Richard Montgomery has 1,400 tonnes of explosives on board. Photo credit: Margaret Flo McEwan/Facebook
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