Masts Cut From Sunken WWII Ship Loaded With 1400 Tonnes Of Munitions Off London To Avert Tsunami Risk
The American Liberty Ship is viewed as a time bomb by many, as its wreck still contains around 1400 tonnes of ammunition onboard.
British Authorities ordered the removal of the three masts of the sunken World War II ship, the SS Richard Montgomery amidst safety concerns. The masts could be seen above the waters near the coastal town of Sheerness, which lies 80 kilometres east of London on the Thames Estuary.
The American Liberty Ship is viewed as a time bomb by many, as its wreck still contains around 1400 tonnes of ammunition onboard. According to sources, the ship nicknamed Monty has more than 2000 cluster bombs, 300 blockbuster bombs weighing 900 kilograms and white phosphorus smoke artillery.
If these were to explode, the impact of the blast could be catastrophic. A 2004 report mentioned that it would bring a small tsunami, throwing debris as far as three kilometres and shattering almost every window in Sheerness and destroying the town.
However, an Emergency Planning Expert at the University College London, David Alexander, wrote a paper in 2019 in which he stated that the true impact of a potential blast and its aftermath cannot be ascertained with certainty.
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