Explosive Tides

The SS Richard Montgomery and the 1,400 Tons of Explosives Sleeping Beneath London

By: Victoria Miles

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eBook | 6 March 2026

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Just 1.5 miles off the coast of Sheerness, within the busy shipping lanes of the Thames Estuary, the rusted masts of a World War II Liberty ship protrude ominously from the water. This is the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery, a vessel that sank in 1944. It is not an empty hull; it is still packed with 1,400 tons of high explosives, making it one of the largest unexploded ticking time bombs on the planet. For over eight decades, the British government has faced a paralyzing dilemma. Attempting to move the degraded, unstable munitions could trigger an explosion large enough to generate a localized tsunami, devastating nearby coastal towns and crippling one of Europe's most vital shipping arteries. Leaving it alone means waiting for the corrosive seawater to inevitably breach the bomb casings. This book plunges into the terrifying reality of the forgotten wreck. You will learn about the frantic attempts to salvage the cargo in 1944, the ongoing structural degradation monitored by modern sonar, and the extreme engineering contingency plans being drafted to prevent a catastrophic detonation. Confront the disaster sleeping just beneath the waves. By understanding the volatile chemistry and precarious engineering of the Montgomery, you will realize why London lives on the edge of a historical explosion.