en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 14, 2026, the UK government confirmed that it has commissioned a £9.5 million (approximately $12.7 million) project to remove the three masts of a World War II shipwreck in the Thames Estuary and stabilize the wreck. The main work will begin in July and is expected to be completed by the end of September.
The operation targets the SS Richard Montgomery, one of over 2,700 Liberty ships built by the United States during World War II, a standardized cargo vessel with a deadweight tonnage of 10,000 tons. Commissioned in 1943, the ship sailed for the UK in August 1944 carrying nearly 7,000 tons of ammunition. While waiting for a convoy to Cherbourg, it broke anchor and ran aground on August 20, 1944, due to a storm, 1.5 miles off the coast of Sheerness in the Thames Estuary.
Salvage operations subsequently began, and by most estimates, at least half of the ammunition had been successfully recovered by September 25, 1944. However, the ship's back broke, and as water levels rose, salvage was forced to cease. Recent UK surveys estimate that approximately 1,400 tons of explosives remain in the forward cargo holds. Currently, only the masts are visible above water, while the 440-foot (135-meter) hull has broken in two and lies on the seabed.
The wreck is described as "one of the most closely monitored wreck sites in the UK." Entering the 21st century, the ship's condition has continued to deteriorate, with two forward masts connected near the cargo holds posing a risk of collapse. Officials fear that movement of the masts could trigger an explosion, detonating the remaining ammunition on board. Previously, Resolve Marine was selected in 2025 to lead the salvage operation, and the UK Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have developed detailed plans.
Work will begin in July, including the construction of an underwater platform around the wreck. Subsequently, the three masts will be removed and transported to The Historic Dockyard Chatham, where experts will oversee the preservation process. The government has pledged to display the masts locally as a way to tell the story of the Allied war effort.
