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USS Richard Montgomery

So who is paying to have this work done? HM Gov, the good ol USofA, or the Germans (they started it).

Its a war wreck so Uncle Sam has no responsibility. There have been various plans to cover it in sand or concrete but each government decided the best action is to ignore it and let someone else take the risk.
 
I always hear conflicting things about that ship. One minute they say that there will be a massive wave that will wipe out half of Essex, and the next they say that all the ammunition is pretty much dead.
Haha same. It pops up in the media every so often.
 
The mast will be coming off as they are unstable now, they don’t want them falling into the wreck and breaking up the hull. The biggest risk is when it finally disintegrates and the contents start washing up all over the estuary
Yikes
 
Nothing so far and the tide is now coming in so it wont be happening today. I guess you would want a very calm day.

For those of you interested look up the 1917 Halifax ( Nova Scotia) explosion.....The SS Mont-Blanc exploded in the harbour with 1800 dead, 9000 injured, 60ft wave and forward guns landing 3.5 miles away.

I'm no expert in unexploded ordanance, but I would have thought if it does go up, it would be better in high tide because the water would take a lot of the impact.
 
I'm no expert in unexploded ordanance, but I would have thought if it does go up, it would be better in high tide because the water would take a lot of the impact.
Which would cause a bigger wave. Some expert claimed it would jump the Thames Flood barrier

The good news is if that happens Gillingham is more at risk than Southend.
 
Which would cause a bigger wave. Some expert claimed it would jump the Thames Flood barrier

The good news is if that happens Gillingham is more at risk than Southend.

Theres no easy option. They can't remove it by hand because it's too unstable.

Navy/bomb disposal teams from Chatham dive the site regular.

As you say, it would have an impact (excuse the pun) on Kent as well.
 
I'm no expert in unexploded ordanance, but I would have thought if it does go up, it would be better in high tide because the water would take a lot of the impact.
The only problem is that the water won’t compress and the energy will cause a wave as described. With a very shallow depth the force will take the path of least resistance and mostly go straight up.

You may be familiar with stores for explosive materials where the roof is much weaker than the walls so that a blast will go up and much of the energy lost that way.
 
The only problem is that the water won’t compress and the energy will cause a wave as described. With a very shallow depth the force will take the path of least resistance and mostly go straight up.

You may be familiar with stores for explosive materials where the roof is much weaker than the walls so that a blast will go up and much of the energy lost that way.

You may well be right. My theory is based on two worse case scenario's. Explode in low tide you'd get a larger explosion and greater distance, high tide, you'd get a sonarmy. You can see why it's been a bloody headache for so many years, both are **** options.
 
The mast will be coming off as they are unstable now, they don’t want them falling into the wreck and breaking up the hull. The biggest risk is when it finally disintegrates and the contents start washing up all over the estuary
You’re absolutely right. Can you imagine sections of the seafront being taped off for hours on a daily basis because someone’s little Johnny has found something cylindrical whilst looking for crabs.
 

You’re absolutely right. Can you imagine sections of the seafront being taped off for hours on a daily basis because someone’s little Johnny has found something cylindrical whilst looking for crabs.

I believe this has happened in Anglesey in recent years after a war time wreck broke up.

I told by a local captain that if the trawler type fisherman drag up something in their nets. They don't bother calling out bomb disposal etc. They have an unofficial dumping area where no one trawls.....Makes sense to me.
 
You’re absolutely right. Can you imagine sections of the seafront being taped off for hours on a daily basis because someone’s little Johnny has found something cylindrical whilst looking for crabs.
The most common thing the navy blow up on the flats are discarded fire extinguishers .
once the 500 pound bombs and armour piercing shells start rolling into Thorpe bay things will get a lot more ‘interesting’
 
When I used to scuba dive on wrecks in the channel I used to take the head of shells and empty the cordite out. They made great ornaments and the cordite was fun to chuck on the barbecue as well. Mind you I used to stay away from the larger shells!
I found shells without the need to scuba dive or buy from she who sells them on the seashore
 
I wouldn’t want to be the Bloke who phones up the US defence department and insists they sort it. You may be met with some choice invective and a few ‘if it wasn’t for us you would be speaking German‘ s
 
I wouldn’t want to be the Bloke who phones up the US defence department and insists they sort it. You may be met with some choice invective and a few ‘if it wasn’t for us you would be speaking German‘ s
They got paid every penny and a surprise attack by the Japanese saved us from speaking German.
 
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