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Cargo Vessel Near Exclusion Zone Raises Alarm Over SS Richard Montgomery Wreck

Under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, the site is under 24-hour radar surveillance; recent surveys warn of gradual hull decay beneath its 1,400 tons of unexploded munitions

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Overview

  • The SS Richard Montgomery ran aground off Sheerness in August 1944 carrying around 7,000 tons of munitions, with 1,400 tons still lodged in its forward holds.
  • A WEC Lines container ship was recently sighted edging toward the marked exclusion zone around the wreck, prompting fresh concerns from local residents.
  • The Maritime and Coastguard Agency performs regular sonar and radar monitoring to detect any changes in the wreck’s structure or surrounding seabed.
  • Officials assert the likelihood of a major detonation is remote and describe the hull as stable despite showing signs of slow environmental deterioration.
  • A 1970 Royal Military College of Science report warned that an explosion of the remaining explosives could trigger a tsunami over 3,000 metres high and devastate nearby Sheerness.