Ships Nostalgia banner

Richard Montgomery

26K views 65 replies 41 participants last post by  Dartskipper 
#1 ·
Something a bit different. Photographed recently of Sheerness.

The Liberty ship RICHARD MONTGOMERY was built in 1943 by the St Johns River Shipbuilding Company. On Aug 20th 1944, in strong winds, the RICHARD MONTGOMERY ran aground off Sheerness in the Thames estuary and over a period of days became stuck fast in the sand bank. During the coming weeks Stevedores from Rochester, Kent were able to remove a large quantity of the explosives from the holds of the ship. The ship was finally abandoned on 25th September 1944 along with its remaining cargo that amounted to some 3200 tons of explosives.

I find it quite funny that the authorities say it is safe after all these years but no one is prepared to touch it! :bur:
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#39 ·
The Richard Montgomery is no danger to anyone, all the shells have no detonaters in them and the sea will have penetrated years ago. I salvaged a cargo including Explosive shells from a wreck in the chanel called the SS Sherala, she was torpedoed in ww1, all the shels were safe when wet.
Salvaging the cargo from the Richard Montgomery could be done in about two monthes wether permitting. as for checking her cargo out every now and again using modern practicess, well this is, 1 send a navy diver down to colect some samples, 2 take samples to army ranges, 3 alow samples to air dry for a week 4 place sample in hole in ground, place explosive charge in middle of it, 5 blow charge up and with it the samples, 6 tell every one that the explosive is still dangeruse and keep wreck in quarentine. but the trouth is that if thay blew the sample up when still wet it would do nothing except posibly fizz a bit.
 
#51 ·
The Richard Montgomery is no danger to anyone, all the shells have no detonaters in them and the sea will have penetrated years ago. I salvaged a cargo including Explosive shells from a wreck in the chanel called the SS Sherala, she was torpedoed in ww1, all the shels were safe when wet.
I saw a report from an RN survey in the late 1970s when I was on an EOD course at Lodge Hill. The cargo was mostly HC bombs and the risk then was that the cast fillings had become unstable and the risk of a chain detonation was realistic, 30 years on all you can say is that they won't have improved. Pete
 
#46 ·
i didnt mean it like that more of a tounge in cheek, I live in Sheerness at the moment just off the Broardway, just had bad day with a neighbour who has everything and yet doesnt work. Anyone else seen the poem written on the sea front regarding the Montgomery, I'll get some photos and upload it
 
#47 ·
RE Richard Montgomery
It is my exoerience that the Maritime Coastguard Agency monitor the condition of the wreck every year and up to now the advice is to leave well alone. However a problem may well develop when the section holding the explosives, she is in two parts, starts to break open and allow the bombs to escape onto the river bed. I understand that a lot depends on the type of explosives on how it will behave after all these years and the degree of corrosion in the weapon casings. Its the precautionary principle, if in doubt leave well alone.
 
#49 ·
Marconi Sahib,
That's an interesting report, esp the bit:
In addition, some 800 fused cluster bombs are believed to remain. These bombs were loaded with TNT. They could be transported fused because the design included a propeller mechanism at the front which only screwed the fuse into position as the bombs fell from an aircraft. . . .
. . . . The cluster bombs pose a different problem. They were made of brass with integral fuses made of a lead compound. In salt water, this compound will combine with brass to produce a highly unstable copper compound which could explode with the slightest disturbance. This compound is however also highly unstable and, if formed, will wash away in a few weeks, thus reducing the danger.


Pre MN I was a TA REME gunfitter and, IIRC, the gunners fitted the 25pdr fuses shortly before loading. The little fuse looked a bit like a mass-produced alarm clock inside and had to be accellerated AND spun before becoming live. A fused shell, even if dropped on the pointy end should not have detonated. Needless to say, although I cannot speak for the RA, no REME personnel attempted this piece of research.

I don't think I'd have been happy with a corroded fuse (EEK)
 
#53 ·
I should think they would be bronze and fitted with aluminium tags.
I wouldn't think the cluster bomb cases would last very long.
I'm not too sure what they mean by cluster bombs.
I always thought it was only the German Butterfly Bomb that was used in the war along with a Russioan and Japanese version.
The only Allied cluster bombs I can think of are incendiaries dropped in bundles/containers that split apart when activated by the propeller "fuse".
Although I believe there were also small "para-frag" (28 lb) bomblets dropped from B17s etc.
The incendiary version was filled with a small amount of explosive (half kilo) and/or phosphorous. All in a pretty thin case.
Something like the 1941 version attached. This fitted on the end of the incendiary phosphorous filled cylinder about 12" long or so.
 

Attachments

#54 · (Edited)
An-m1a1 Cluster Fragmentation Bomb Fuzes


Noticed this stuff from old link on mine thought you might like an update every couple of years or so (grin)
for latest info on wreck of ss richard montgomery go to
http://www.ssrichardmontgomery.com and follow links.
....................
Re: fuses
AN-M1A1 CLUSTER FRAGMENTATION BOMBS

These comprise a cluster of six 20lb TNT-filled fragmentation bombs type M41 assembled and packed on the cluster in the fuzed condition. They are the most hazardous items in the cargo of the "SS Richard Montgomery". Each cluster was packed in a metal-lined wooden box of exterior dimensions 134 X 27 X 32 (cm). The fuze employed is the type AN-M110A1

Cluster bomb fuze type AN-M110A1 diagram and workings (pdf)
http://www.ssrichardmontgomery.com/download/AN-M110A1.pdf

Cluster bomb fuze type AN-M110A1 cutaway picture (jpg)
http://www.ssrichardmontgomery.com/download/AN-M110A1 cutaway.jpg

hope you find of interest & maybe visit site
 
#56 ·
In his book "Liberty", retired Master Mariner Peter Elphick tells the story of Richard Montgomery in the chapter entitled "Let Sleeping Wrecks Lie."
I found the book in a second hand bookshop, copies may be available still. It is a very good read.
Amongst many interesting facts concerning the wreck, including the decision to moor her just off the northern edge of Middle Sand, where there was only 33ft of water at low tide when she was drawing 31ft at the stern, I found the following details.
American records say that the wreck was caused by bombing by enemy aircraft, and that the wreck was disposed of after the War. Apparently an attempt to raise and salvage the remains was considered, but an attempt to sell the wreck to a salvage company was vetoed by the British Government. The US Marine Administration then tried to abandon the wreck to the Government, but the offer was declined. This means that legally, the wreck still is the property of the USA.
Further, in 1992, an official statement about the likely condition of the explosives still in the wreck stated that;
" TNT does not react with water, and will not explode even if a trifle damp. Therefore, if water had penetrated some bomb casings, then these would be safe. However, should the TNT remain dry, it deteriorates slowly into a non-explosive state. But when this decay starts, it goes through a stage where it becomes very sensitive to the point where it can be set off by a sharp knock.
The cluster bombs, however, pose a different problem. They have fuses made of brass filled with a lead compound to enhance the detonator shock. Exposed to seawater, the lead compound reacts with the brass, forming a highly unstable compound which could explode with the slightest disturbance."
No wonder nobody wants to interfere with the wreck.
What baffles me, is why none of this seems to have been considered when Mayor Boris was raving on about a new airport for London. Plenty of arguments against that idea discussed prevailing weather, accessibility, infrastructure etc. But nothing about the old ammunition ship.
Food for thought......
 
#58 ·
The R.N if I remember correctly did go around the Coast in I thought the 1950's flattening Wrecks in order that they could not be used as a cover by 'Orange Forces' when it came to trying to root them out using ASDIC.
 
#59 ·
I knew of a number of wrecks around the South Devon coast that would show up on echo sounders, one or two from the First War. All the local trawlermen had them plotted. The RN did remove a lot of "obstacles to navigation", which gave rise to a local legend that during their exercise, they took the top off a rock pinnacle in the approaches to Dartmouth. If memory serves, it was known as The Bear's Tail, but I may be wrong. The Dartmouth Pilot, Dave Griffiths, told me that he had been all over the alleged position(according to the Admiralty Chart and Channel Pilot) in his launch, and had not found it. But one day, a larger trawler bound for Brixham did hit something in that area, doing some damage below the waterline. Again, the area was surveyed, but nothing showed up.
 
#63 ·
The Bear's Tail (or more correctly) the Bear's A**e still exists & is visible at MLWS & during rough weather. It is amazing how many near misses there are with small craft cutting the corner instead of transiting round the Mewstone. A skipper from "one of the pleasure boat companies" was sacked a couple of years ago for going inside the Mewstone so that passengers could get a better view of the seals. Unfortunately, he was spotted by the Coastguard & taken to Court & lost hs license.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top