U.S. shipwreck, laden with World War II munitions, is a time bomb near London

U.S. shipwreck, laden with World War II munitions, is a time bomb near London - The Washington Post

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U.S. shipwreck, laden with World War II munitions, is a time bomb near London

A salvage crew has been working to stabilize the SS Richard Montgomery, which sank a few months after D-Day in 1944 with 1,500 tons of explosives in her holds.

October 4, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDTToday at 5:00 a.m. EDT

9 min

*The final mast of the SS Richard Montgomery is removed on Sept. 30. The shipwreck lies in the Thames estuary with 1,400 tons of explosives onboard. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)*

By William Booth

SHEERNESS, England — In the mouth of the River Thames, just downstream from London, a team of elite marine salvors has been busy trying to stabilize one of the world’s most dangerous shipwrecks.

The SS Richard Montgomery, a U.S. military cargo ship, dragged anchor, broke her back on a sandbar, flooded and sank in late summer 1944, a few months after D-Day, with 1,500 tons of explosives still in the holds.

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