SS Richard Montgomery Mast Removal

Kent, England | United Kingdom

Resolve Marine recently completed a key phase of the UK government's long-term management strategy for the historic SS Richard Montgomery wreck site in the Thames Estuary, just east of London. The World War II Liberty ship, which sank in 1944 while carrying munitions for Allied forces, remains one of the UK's most closely monitored maritime sites. 

This wreck site is unique because of the 1,400 tons of unexploded ordnances onboard and the presence of UXO and pUXO in the areas around the wreck.  

The initial phase of the mast removal project comprised of extensive safety and technical assessments, as well as independent UXO desktop studies and expert review to ensure the continued stability of the wreck and the safety of personnel, local communities and maritime traffic. 

Resolve Marine then led the engineering effort to safely remove the vessel's three remaining steel masts. Divers installed underwater diamond wire saws around each mast, allowing them to be carefully cut while minimizing disturbance to the wreck. The masts were then lifted and removed using a crane mounted on a specialized barge designed for stabilized heavy-lift operations. 

Following the removal work, Resolve Marine conducted a high-resolution multibeam survey to rescan the wreck and confirm its condition.