UNEXPLODED · public companion
A ship built in 137 days. A story still unfolding after eighty years.
Richard Montgomery travelled from the St Johns River Shipbuilding Company in Jacksonville, Florida, to a sandbank outside Sheerness.
The Story of the SS Richard Montgomery
The wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery is a complex, 80-year narrative spanning World War II, countless government reviews, and the modern challenge of safely managing a decaying munitions ship just miles from shore.
- 1944: A calm morning. A ship breaking in two.
- What Remains: Inside the broken holds.
- Why Left: The wreck Britain chose to watch.
- Risk: Seven miles became very close.
- Masts: When a landmark becomes a falling weight.
Watch the live webcam of the current mast removal operation
Explore the full Timeline or browse the Evidence Archive.