02/01/2022 Regno Unito, Inghilterra, Kent, Swale, Sheppey, Sheerness
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance”
An operation to remove the masts from a sunken cargo ship in the River Thames, containing 1,400 tonnes of unstable explosives onboard, will involve Royal Navy specialists. It is believed that if the unexploded ordnance on the SS Richard Montgomery were triggered it could lead to the nearby oil and gas facilities in Sheerness being damaged, the Daily Telegraph reports. A Ministry of Defence report said an explosion “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”. The ship has remained a hazard in the shipping waters around Sheerness since it sunk on 20 August 1944. Its cargo of explosives in the forward holds has not been unloaded since. Masts from the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery, beached in the sands below, have been pictured poking above the water. A no-entry exclusion zone extends around the wreck and a local port owner is responsible for marking it with warning notices attached to the masts. Protective buoys circle the ship. The MoD was supporting the Department for Transport, which in turn has a contractor that will undertake the mast removal process over a two-month period. MoD-assured experts were due to assess the best way of surveying the area, identify any objects of interest, decide which of those objects need further investigation, and ensure that the mast removal work can be undertaken as safely as possible. Two Royal Navy specialists had been tasked with providing specialist survey and identification advice and expertise. A recent Department for Transport survey found the ship’s three masts were deteriorating and in a poor state.
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
