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New alert regarding the 'Doomsday wreck' located at the Thames' seabed

December, 28, 2024-05:02

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New alert regarding the 'Doomsday wreck' located at the Thames' seabed

New alert regarding the 'Doomsday wreck' located at the Thames' seabed: Experts caution that the bomb-laden SS Richard Montgomery could potentially contain mustard gas as well.
A 'Doomsday wreck' with a bomb-laden hold poses a potential tsunami threat in the Thames and may also contain another hazardous substance—mustard gas. The SS Richard Montgomery sank in the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, Kent, in August 1944, taking approximately 1,400 tons of American munitions with it. Southend councilor Stephen Aylen has expressed concerns that the wreck, located just eight miles from his constituency, may have carried a more alarming cargo—mustard gas. He referenced the case of another Liberty Ship, the SS John Harvey, which was sent to the Mediterranean with a covert shipment of the lethal gas. That ship was sunk by the Luftwaffe off Bari, Italy, in December 1943, releasing its deadly contents and resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries.

Mr. Aylen questioned, "Is there something similar on the Montgomery? Is there a more dangerous substance on that ship than we have been informed about?" He noted that the Allies had sent mustard gas to Italy in anticipation of a possible chemical weapons deployment by a desperate Hitler. The SS Richard Montgomery sank off the coast of Medway in Kent, where it has remained on the seabed for nearly 80 years. However, the use of gas was prohibited by the Geneva Protocol, and its transportation to Italy was conducted with such secrecy that its presence was not acknowledged, even after it was inadvertently released. Mr. Aylen contended that if there was a belief that Hitler might resort to chemical weapons following the Allied invasion of Italy, then the circumstances in August 1944 were even more dire for him.

The Department for Transport has stated that its primary concern is to ensure public safety and mitigate any risks associated with the SS Richard Montgomery. The U.S. government has made two offers to secure the wreck, once in 1948 and again in 1967, both of which were declined. Mr. Aylen, an independent council member in Southend for nearly three decades, remarked, "It seems quite odd that this situation has been allowed to persist. Why is this hazard still present, especially with some of the largest vessels in the world navigating the Thames? It is located just a short distance from their route." He further noted, "The more you investigate, the more questions arise." This discussion follows a recent survey that revealed additional signs of deterioration in the ship, which were noted over the past year. Among the findings was the observation that the entire forward section of the wreck is now in two pieces on the seabed, tilting 10 to 15 cm further eastward due to the erosion of supporting sediment. Additionally, a crack in the second cargo hold has expanded by 5 cm in width and 37 cm in length since the last assessment, showing significant buckling further down.