SS Richard Montgomery masts removed from bomb-laden Thames wreck
The government says removing all three masts reduced pressure on the wartime wreck. Monitoring, an exclusion zone and flying restrictions remain in place.
All three masts have been removed from the SS Richard Montgomery, a munitions-laden wartime wreck in the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, the UK government announced on 19 October 2026. The work reduces a structural risk at a site that remains under restrictions, The Guardian reported.
The Guardian reported that engineers carried out the removal because the masts could have collapsed onto the ship's cargo. In a written statement to the House of Commons, maritime minister Keir Mather said the masts had placed significant load on the ageing wreck and that their removal supported its long-term safe management.
Why the SS Richard Montgomery masts were removed
The American cargo ship sank in 1944 while carrying an estimated 1,400 tonnes of munitions, according to the Department for Transport. Its three masts remained visible above the water. An expert advisory group recommended their removal because of the load they placed on the vessel's structure as it deteriorated, the government said.
The Guardian reported that the exact contents of the ship's holds are unknown. It cited a defence agency estimate of almost 300 large blockbuster bombs and more than 2,000 cluster bombs. Assessments of what an explosion could do have differed, making the risk difficult to describe precisely.
Monitoring and restrictions at the wreck
Mather said the complex removal project finished ahead of schedule and below forecast costs. The Guardian put its estimated cost at £9.5 million. The government said the recovered masts and associated artefacts had been transferred to the Historic Dockyard Chatham for conservation and preservation, recognising the ship's role in supporting Allied forces during the Second World War.
The wreck will remain under continuous monitoring and the established shipping exclusion zone, Mather said. Existing flying restrictions will also stay in force. The Guardian reported that the wreck has long been guarded and that a no-fly zone was introduced in 2025; the mast work does not end those controls around the site.
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Sources and context
- Masts removed from bomb-laden WWII ship in Thames in bid to avoid explosionThe Guardian
- SS Richard Montgomery mast removal projectDepartment for Transport / Keir Mather MP (GOV.UK)
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