13/01/2023 Regno Unito, (UK), Inghilterra, (England), Kent, Swale, Sheppey, Sheerness
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law e enforcement agency for assistance”.
By Terry Lloyd
The SS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty Ship that wrecked on the Nore sandbank in the Thames Estuary, near Sheerness, Kent, England, in August 1944. After running aground on the sandbar, the ship’s hull split at the waterline on the port (left) side, and then fractured across the width of the ship over to the starboard (right) side, under the waterline. The ship was heavily laden with 1,500 tons of explosives, in the form of: 286 × 2,000 lb. (910 kg) high explosive bombs
4,439 × 1,000 lb. (450 kg) bombs of various types
1,925 × 500 lb. (230 kg) bombs
2,815 fragmentation bombs and bomb clusters
In addition, there were various explosive booster charges, smoke bombs, white phosphorus bombs and pyrotechnic signals (flares). The ship was never salvaged and still lies in the middle of one of the busiest ship channels in the world, in approximately 45 feet (15 meters) of water. It is 40 miles from the center of London. The tops of its three masts are visible above the water. The shipwreck site is extensively marked, for both day and night. It is monitored by port authorities 24 hours per day via video and is prominently marked on nautical charts as a danger area and hazard to navigation with a 1,600-foot (500 meters) exclusion zone around the wreck. Conversely, there are actually regularly scheduled tourist boat tours to visit the wreck site.
Photo-Source: wearethemighty.com
If you find anything that appears to be an explosive device, do not touch it, leave it where it is and call the police. We will contact the appropriate agencies to properly dispose of the item.
Dear editors, Biography of a bomb is aimed at highlighting the danger caused by unexploded bombs. Moreover, the most important aspect is that we work completely non profit, raising awerness about this topic is what drives us. We apologize if we make use of pictures in yours articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We will (and we always do) cite source and author of the picture. We thank you for your comprehension
