SS Richard Montgomery - What?

Good morning ATS

This story has been doing the rounds in MSM for the last couple of weeks, in short columns in MSM newspapers to full articles in the same media. Question is .... why? In my entire life until 2 weeks ago i had never heard of this shipwreck but now, i am reading about it consistently over the past two weeks.

Is something about to happen to the cargo of this wreck after 72 years? are the MSM pointing terrorists to a potential weapon to use or be set up for capture? Is the government going to use its cargo as a false flag for something?

The cargo consists of 1400 tonnes of TNT high explosives, in detail :-

286 × 2,000 lb (910 kg) high explosive "Blockbuster" bombs
4,439 × 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs of various types
1,925 × 500 lb (230 kg) bombs
2,815 fragmentation bombs and bomb clusters
Various explosive booster charges
Various smoke bombs, including white phosphorus bombs
Various pyrotechnic signals

In a report in 1970, it was determined that if the wreck of Richard Montgomery exploded, it would throw a 1,000-foot-wide (300 m) column of water and debris nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) into the air and generate a wave 16 feet (5 m) high. Almost every window in Sheerness (pop. circa 20,000) would be broken and buildings would be damaged by the blast.

As previously stated, i have never heard of this wreck before, why is it now so prominent in the MSM? any ideas?

CbG

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

i dunno why you have not heard of it previously - but as you havnt i shall assume you are not :

a scyba diver , sea kayaker , yachtsman , power boater , jet skier etc etc etc

why you are innundated with the tail now ? - simples fearmongering

as for its dangers - IMHO overated .

PS - if i ran the world - i would have blown it up in september 1945

my plan would have been simple - sink serveral blockships - derelics - war scrap // german interned warships etc etc etc in an arc around her to landward - evacuate the coastal towns at greatest risk and enforce a curfew over a wider area

then boom

the damage caused would be an insignificant addition to the total war rebuilding bill and it would never be a problem again

It sounds like a typical news paper filler story, not important just interesting..

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Afternoon and thank you for the response, you are correct, i am none of the above and also live on the South West coast so it would therefore would not directly affect me in any way if it did "go off".

My question was, why is it so prominent in MSM now? nationwide not just local or to those who indulge in sports of the nature you mentioned.

Yes, i'm sure the best solution would have been to blow it when it first sank ......... unfortunately you or me were not around at the time and certainly not in a position to make that decision.

Why now in the MSM, why the interest?

CbG

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

An interesting story, but as said, an old one to those who know.

CX.

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

Some links to the facts you presented would be good.

originally posted by: Mianeye
It sounds like a typical news paper filler story, not important just interesting..

I could understand that if it was one newsgroup, however, its more than one ......... do different newsgroups use the same fillers?

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

They often share or sell story's between each other.

For example you picked it up and shared it here...

originally posted by: Mianeye
a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

They often share or sell story's between each other.

For example you picked it up and shared it here...

Ok, thanks for all your input, i now understand it's a filler and should not have asked my question, i must be naive or something, your contributions have been invaluable lol.

I'm out, can't close the thread so have at it (and me)

Cheers CbG

Unless ISIS has recruited Michael Phelps you have nothing to worry about

a reply to: ignorant_ape
Blowing it up will cause untold damage to the wildlife and corals.
Why would you want to do this?

originally posted by: chewi
a reply to: ignorant_ape
Blowing it up will cause untold damage to the wildlife and corals.
Why would you want to do this?

In 1944, which i think he is talking about, corals would not have formed ..... even in 1945 it would have been barren, then again, off topic to question, but i know what you are talking about

CbG

see the thread drift SO? THIS is what happens on ATS, not just 911

a reply to: corblimeyguvnor

The cargo consists of 1400 tones of TNT high explosives,

Thats 1.4 kiloton. Small by nuke standards but still in the kiloton range.

Wham…

Heres a 500 ton bomb about a third the size

Those explosives wouldn't all explode at the same instant so the scenario stated wouldn't happen. It might have an effect but nothing like a single bomb. Part of those explosives have probably deteriorated also. The effect on the environment in that area by those explosives deteriorating could be bad though. We sure leave a lot of bad garbage all over the place. Those kinds of things should be cleaned up. There are old un-exploded bombs scattered all over Europe, those can cause problems. Could you imaging dropping the anchor of your boat on a bomb and triggering it to explode below you?

o

edit on 3-1-2016 by Motorhead because: (no reason given)

a reply to: chewi

utter bollox

you really need to review the tonnage of ordnance that was expended in the thames estury [ 1939 ~ 1945 ]

a vigorous shake up would promote new groeth and diversity

The main reason its showing up is that its in an area thats been hit pretty hard by the recent storms IIRC so its probably always a concern when theres anything unusual happening just off the cost there. Theres probably a plan of evacuation should things get worrying.

An update on this ship, the navy with the help of some contractors is going to remove the three masts of the ship because the ship is disintegrating at an alarming rate now and they are worried that the masts could collapse into one of the holds and cause the ship to explode.
it is expected that the ship will totally brake up in the next 20 years, not good for anyone living nearby, or indeed for the Thames estuary.