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Prep begins before masts cut from explosive wreck
- On 25/09/2026
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- In Dangerous Places for Shipping
By Craig Buchan - BBC
Preparations are under way for the removal of masts from an explosives-filled World War Two ship in the Thames Estuary. Vessels have been seen near the SS Richard Montgomery wreck site, which has been visible from Kent and Essex since the US military vessel sank in 1944.
The Department for Transport previously confirmed work would start in September to remove the masts in case they fell on to and detonated 1,400 tonnes of explosives that remain within the ship.
The salvage project, first announced in 2020, is expected to cost £9.5m.
Robin Nixon, who can see the masts from his home on the Isle of Sheppey, has begun livestreaming preparatory works online.
He said he had "got hold of a good telescope for this but it wasn't powerful enough", so had used "AI image enhancement" to zoom in closer.
"I wanted to watch the works myself and, because I'm a hobbyist, everybody else gets a chance to watch it as well," he told the BBC.