The Wreck of the S.S. Richard Montgomery

The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered

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The History Guy remembers why we should not forget the wreck of one of the last Liberty Ships, the S.S. Richard Montgomery. The question of what to do about it, and its load of explosives, remains today.
This episode was made for educational purposes. The events are portrayed within the context of history. While the events occurred during wartime, the ship never engaged in combat. There are no photos or footage of graphic violence in this episode.
The History Guy uses images that are in the Public Domain. As photographs of actual events are often not available, I will sometimes use photographs of similar events or objects for illustration.
Skip Intro: 00:10
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The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered (formerly "Five Minutes of History") is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.
Subscribe for more forgotten history: / @thehistoryguychannel .
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The episode is intended for educational purposes. All events are presented in historical context.
#ssrichardmontgomery #wwii #thehistoryguy

Опубликовано:

2 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 828

@TheHistoryGuyChannel 2 года назад

For exclusive content, join our community of fans and supporters at thehistoryguyguild.locals.com!

@christophercripps7639 6 лет назад

Oh boy, a full scale experiment of the shelf life and stability of high explosives in a saltwater environment.

@HarveyJohnWillmott 3 года назад

Can’t believe you covered this story. I’m from Southend and have seen this ship numerous times.

@markbeyea4063 3 года назад

The Richard Montgomery is also a great example of the common government employee sentiment, "I'll be retired long before that happens."

@wrightflyer7855 5 лет назад

When I was a boy in 1959 and my father was assigned to MAAG Taiwan our family sailed on a Victory ship (the USS General J.C. Breckinridge) from Frisco to Taiwan, which took at least ten days or longer--and this 5th grader loved every minute of it!

@ThePrader 2 года назад

Small world? ME TOO ! We were there from 1958-1960. We sailed there and back on a USNS Liberty ship. My dad was also a MAAG officer .I was very young but remember that everyone got sea-sick except me. Little known fact: even redesigned to be transports those ships did NOT have ice-cream makers. We could eat as much sherbet as we wanted however because they could make that. I wonder- did we meet each other while in Taiwan? We spent one year in the compound at Hsinchu. One year in the American sector near Taipei. If I remember correctly the schools were all grades 1-6. I went to "Mission" schools, taught by the meanest nuns on the earth.

@richardcline1337 Год назад

My first trip to Germany as a GI was on board the USNS Simon B. Buckner, another Victory ship. Having never been on board a ship of that size I thought she was huge....that is until the night we met the SS United States heading in the opposite direction! The United States was lit up like a Christmas tree and made us look like a row boat! It is heartbreaking to see her in such a terrible condition as she is today. The Buckner was scrapped in Brownsville, Texas, in May of 1999.

@murraystewartj 6 лет назад

Saw one of these ships in summer of '86, when I was working in Halifax harbour (where many of the WW2 convoys departed from). It had been towed in and after a day or so was towed out to be a target in some naval exercise off Iceland, as I recall. Big, ugly and decrepit, she still had a quiet grace about her as she awaited her fate. She was a somber reminder of the courage of the merchant mariners who braved the wolf packs to get much needed supplies to Britain.

@fredfarnackle5455 6 лет назад

Good ships manned by heroes - every one of them, especially those on the Arctic Convoys.

@brianlbny1499 5 лет назад

Been on the Liberty Ship Thomas Brown, as a Marine Engineer pretty cool to see reciprocating steam engines and equipment from the era still running.

@subliutenant 5 лет назад

@@brianlbny1499 Lucky Bastard!!

@richardtravalini6731 2 года назад

Well said.

@philgiglio7922 10 месяцев назад

@@brianlbny1499...if you get the chance watch THE SAND PEBBLES...a triple expansion steam engine and we get to see it in operation

@MrHydenSeek 5 лет назад

Who would have thought a detailed historical story about a ship from almost 75 yrs ago could start arguments in the comments. Thank You, History Guy, for the bonus entertainment as well as the history lesson. Thumbs Up 👍

@runlarryrun77 5 лет назад

Anything can start an argument on the internet. This is something that I've only learned today after over 10 years online. Someone will probably disagree with me on that, which will ironically prove my point...

@sphinxrising1129 5 лет назад

How to start a argument on the comment section of any video. Post something, lol

@stevek8829 4 года назад

The entertainment value in RU-vid is mostly in the comments.

@jovanweismiller7114 4 года назад

I already knew about the Montgomery, but I had to see your take on it. Well done, Sir! Well done!

@briansmith9439 5 лет назад

Great episode. For some reason, it brought to mind the SS Atlantus, a concrete ship built in 1918 by the Liberty Ship Building Company in Georgia. I used to visit the wreck many years ago near Cape May, NJ.

@johntabler349 5 лет назад

My Grand father, already a WW1 Vet was on a merchant marine vessel that was torpedoed early in the war he survived despite being only a few yards from the U-boat when it surfaced he came home and promptly enlisted in the Navy figuring he'd prefer to be on a ship that could shoot back

@leondillon8723 5 лет назад

In WW I & WW II, the crews of several cargo ships didn't know that they was torpedoed until the unloading. Unexploded torps made a water tight seal.

@mathewdennis5827 5 лет назад

He fought for your right to not use punctuation

@blackcountryme 5 лет назад

@@mathewdennis5827 and kill grammar Nazis perhaps?

@andyguy0610 6 лет назад

Another great video, am binge watching, been here for over an hour.Keep up the great work

@dougankrum3328 5 лет назад

One of these ships is on display periodically here in Sacramento, California...the Jeremiah O'Brian...the engine room was used to film some of the Titantic scenes, and I've toured it twice. The welds are pretty rough, no surprise they were designed for a 5 year life...! It does have the ability to move under it's own power...

@sophiepaterson7444 5 лет назад

I really love your videos. Always something new to learn, and I love how clear and concise you are. Keep it up. This is one of the best channels on youtube. :)

@raydunakin 3 года назад

I would imagine that cost isn't the only prohibiting factor. How safe could it be to attempt to remove those explosives from a rusting, sunken ship? Who would be willing to take the risk?

@MrJimbaloid 3 года назад

you would be surprised if you looked.

@MrJimbaloid 3 года назад

I'm with you though on the BIG PAY CHECK. Not gonna be a cheap job by ANY means.

@thelton100 3 года назад

Pay people enough they’d do it. But they’d better have good insurance

@chrisdansey2600 2 года назад

My uncle David made a career of diving dangerous wrecks and lived into his nineties

@kman-mi7su 2 года назад

Pay someone enough and they will.

@EquipmentReviewer 6 лет назад

This is turning into one of my favorite channels. Thumbs up!

@melcrane54 6 лет назад

Very high quality, informative and entertaining videos....I thank you.

@GoG6138 2 года назад

Thanks History Guy - true stories are the best stories and you have thousands! This is my favorite channel on RU-vid - Keep up the good work! 😎🥂😎

@matthewmeador9565 3 года назад

One thing I’d love to see from you is coverage on the SS Selma and the rest of the US’ fleet of concrete ships. They were made early in the 1910s and were made to conserve steel. The Selma is scuttled near seawolf park in Galveston Texas. I just think a ship made of concrete is history that deserves to be remembered 😉

@TheExsoldier1 5 лет назад

Excellent short, I really enjoyed this and your other pieces of history that should be remembered. I live off the Essex coast and have seen the Monty rusting away in the Thames Estuary off Southend for years but this is the first time I have heard the full story.

@sindarpeacheyeisacommie8688 3 года назад

I'd like to see a primer on the Liberty Ship, with images inside and out. All us history nerds know about the Liberty Ship, but many of us have never got into the guts of the vessels. Also, the Ghosts of Arkangel would make a good video.

@dongon3837 5 лет назад

Just came across you.. Thank you History Guy you have taught me something new today..

@richastle8293 5 лет назад

Hi History Guy! I've recently encountered your site and am enjoying your videos. Today's video about "Monty" is awesome - scary, tragic, funny, and thought provoking. Your presentation is always great, but in this video you have truly excelled. Keep up the great work. Thanks, Rich

@KPearce57 6 лет назад

My Father was a seaman with the Merchant Marines, His last Liberty ship was the Mariposa, he was on one other that was torpedo'ed in the N. Atlantic he was one of 13 survivors but I have forgotten the name of that ship, as Merchant Marines they never got any Veteran status, or assistance, untill he was in his 70s.

@MervynPartin 5 лет назад

I was in the British Merchant Navy in the 70s and luckily never in any zones of armed conflict (at the time, however, many became so later). I do believe that the Merchant Navy personnel who were in the WW2 conflict did not get the recognition that they deserved. Many died in their efforts to supply the UK (and the USSR) in the convoys as they were the targets of enemy attacks.

@runlarryrun77 5 лет назад

The Merchant Marine were indeed unsung heroes of that war.

@phillipbrewster6058 5 лет назад

thank him for his service its horrible the way the gov did merchant marines

@DavidSmith-ss1cg 5 лет назад

The shabby, shameful treatment of the Merchant Navy men is a shameful chapter in the history of the Brits and the US both. Read Monsarrat's epic "The Cruel Sea"(which is also a fine film) to learn more of the story - EVERY bit as epic and honorable as any war story EVER. You should contact your congressman or MP and ask them; the rich folks and blood-fat corporations work that way. If enough people try, it could work - it won't be easy, politicians have short attention spans - but it's worth a try.

@capnbobretired 5 лет назад

I retired from the Merchant Marine in 2003. It was an interesting, challenging, job filled with square pegs that did not fit into round holes. I was inoculated for yellow fever, plague and small pox and hepatitis, fought fires in port and at sea, dealt with cargo thieves, weevils, rats, SCUD missiles while docked at a refinery in Haifa, Israel during the first Gulf war, typhoons, hurricanes, and seaman who went crazy (hint: when a co-worker shaves his eyebrows, goes to lunch nude, or pulls a hoop ear ring out of a co-workers ear over a dispute about which rap star is better, these might be signs of mental illness). I carried coffee beans, cashew nut oil, and cinnamon bark from Africa, and undocumented guns to some ports in Africa. I saw blood, oil spills, and green flashes. I had near misses with other ships that I thought would kill me (car crashes are started in a split second and over in 3 seconds.--ship collisions can get started 20 minutes away and you don't know sometimes until the last 15 seconds or so whether your actions alone will save you). I'm glad I sailed, I would not do it again, and I do not recommend it.

@docthebiker 5 лет назад

My old sailing haunts were around the Thames/Medway Estuary. I've sailed right up to the Montgomery. The exclusion zone consists of a few warning buoys, bells and beacons. Medway Ports Authority boats were a rare sight around the wreck. One good thing came out of it. It saved the Medways towns from "Boris Island". Sheerness is like Sheer-ness pronounce the "ness".

@michaeldougfir9807 6 лет назад

So well done, I subscribed and gave a thumbs up. I like your cap collection. There's some interesting history there, too.

@achillebelanger989 5 лет назад

Michael Dougfir I could Add to that collection.

@gordonwelcher9598 Год назад

The stories are well told and interesting, the length is just right. The music at the beginning and end is not really needed. It is also loud and abrasive. Thank you for your efforts.

@gracegrasso9376 3 года назад

Love the 5 minutes today. Thank you.

@richardtravalini6731 2 года назад

I went on my 1970 honeymoon cruise on what was a Liberty Ship. The Homeric by Home Lines. You never cease to amaze me. Keep up the great work.

@floriotj 6 лет назад

Another adage that may apply: If I do nothing I can't be blamed.

@WildBillCox13 5 лет назад

I am afraid that is exactly how it is viewed by those "in charge".

@wolfgangkulik6850 5 лет назад

Dear sleepercell: Your adage goes a long way in explaining our society of today if you ask me.

@bencesarosi7718 5 лет назад

Or the software engineering adage: If you touch it, it becomes yours.

@rickitysplitz7035 5 лет назад

What's with y'alls affinity towards excessive use of a particular word?

@gregbolitho9775 5 лет назад

heard that, another one is if i do the right thing, i'll still get yelled at!

@americanpatriot2422 2 года назад

Outstanding video and presentation

@DigitalJakeT 2 года назад

Thanks! I often wish my teaches and professors would have had the enthusiasm and humorous presentation.

@michaelgranzeier5300 6 лет назад

I'm a new Army transporter just finishing up A.I.T. I was taught about the liberty ship at the Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis. it''s pretty cool seeing this video!

@paulr5982 6 лет назад

That's a great story!Thanks!

@shantelscottrobinson5429 2 года назад

I have heard it said that bad news doesn’t get better with age. Thank you THG for confirming that statement. You always do a fantastic job sharing your knowledge and love of history with others that love history...thank you!

@johnenglish8126 5 лет назад

The only adage I know is: never put off til tomorrow what you can let someone else do today. Great video again, really enjoy all of your amazing video's; I learn about things I'd never had an interest for!

@1spitfirepilot 3 года назад

Great, as ever. I've sailed in a small boat past those masts. Quite remarkable!

@JohnRodriguesPhotographer 4 года назад

I remember reading several stories about this over the years. You should do a story on the Easter eggs scattered about Truk Lagoon. Yeah one hell of a mess there too!

@larrylawson5172 5 лет назад

This was a suggested video by RU-vid. In one of those great oddities of life, last week I was watching a video about a barge - the Leontyne - and two guys that were taking her to France to barge the canals to the Rhine and then the Danube. As they were taking the Leontyne down the Thames they commented about passing the Richard Montgomery and her precarious state which peaked my curiosity. The google search information was somewhat sparse. A bit on Wikipedia but nothing on Google Earth. She is not even marked as a shipwreck and you cannot see an image of her location where she sank in the estuary. This video was very helpful and informative. The algorithms of Google/RU-vid are a great puzzle. Thank you for such a "timely" and interesting video!!

@plawker 2 года назад

I do indeed love history, A big thanks to to the History guy and his beautiful History Cat.

@taxirob1297 5 лет назад

As a Londoner I had no idea about this. Great bit of history, history guy.

@TerryMcKean 6 лет назад

Well, that's definitely a bit of a sticky wicket for London, no doubt.... I hope they clean that stuff up soon. Thanks for sharing, History Guy... I found your channel a couple days ago and it's definitely awesome. Great to meet you.

@tedgamma8650 3 года назад

Great channel. Very interesting

@thyde9535 6 лет назад

Does anyone else find it a bit ironic that a ship built by Catholic Scotch/Irish-Canadians, named after an Irish American general from the American Revolution, ended up in the Thames with enough explosives to turn the houses of parliament back into swamp land? It must be the ghost of General Montgomery finally getting his revenge on the Brits for his failure to invade British Canada. ;-)

@adrianlarkins7259 6 лет назад

Where is the Thymes? I had no idea Gen Montgomery wanted invade Britain and Canada. His first name was Bernard and for your information, he just happened to be on the British and Canadians side.

@thyde9535 6 лет назад

Dang auto correct, it should say the Thames river. You're only half right, as he was a British officer. However, he switched sides in 1775, before the declaration of independence was signed & fought for the continental army.

@thyde9535 6 лет назад

Adrian Larkins Oh & I just noticed in my message feed you wrote Bernard Montgomery (as in "Monty", Paton's tea totaling British counterpart), who lived 150 years later, so I take it back you're not at all right.

@mandalorian_guy 6 лет назад

T Hyde *Patton

@extramild1 6 лет назад

Hi Mr Hyde - In no way does that define irony. You should learn the defination of irony.

@maxfmfdm 5 лет назад

Google review of the S.S. Richard Montgomery: "Had a blast, food was the bomb, atmosphere was great."

@jameswyatt2739 3 года назад

I left a comment earlier just to say again awesome fellow. Thank you keep it coming. I was wondering if you would talk about your background on shelves. How they were acquired and their history. Thanks again, Jim.

@killmimes 5 лет назад

I am a Tender sailor...spent my time on AD's...never heard of an Auxiliary ship AK till now, GREAT JOB.

@spacecadet35 6 лет назад

I cannot see how it could be a bigger bang than the Halifax explosion. That was equivalent to 2,900 tonnes of TNT. There are 1,400 tonnes left on this ship.

@TheHistoryGuyChannel 6 лет назад

That is a fair comment, in that some of the damage estimates were based on the assumption that more munitions were still on board than showed in the UK 2000 survey of the wreck. If it were the initial estimate of as much as 3500 tonnes it would have exceeded the Halifax explosion. But the new estimate of 1400 tonnes is smaller, and, in fact, smaller than the Port Chicago explosion. Still, the proximity to populated areas of the Richard Montgomery makes the devastation of the Halifax explosion a stark warning to the surrounding areas.

@spacecadet35 6 лет назад

Thank you for a fair and reasoned reply :)

@TheYoyozo 6 лет назад

With the revised estimate I am wondering at what point do they decide to merely blow it up? Maybe a partial removal then a detonation. Doing nothing in this period of terrorism seem foolish.

@tannerrennat7786 6 лет назад

spacecadet35 Heritage Minute respekt

@RealLuckless 6 лет назад

While extremely dangerous, it is thankfully a poor comparison to the Halifax Explosion - The shallow water buffer to where the ship now lies is several kilometres, which will take up a lot of the initial blast. The tsunami created would carry its own risk, but far more of the blast energy will be absorbed by the water than it could have in Halifax. The rising hills surrounding the water in Halifax also meant that far more of the city was directly exposed to the blast, with a clear line of sight to it, and in turn a clear line of sight to the shock-waves of the blast. These differences have lead to a number of faulty estimates on the damage potential over the years, with some studies improperly scaling damages based on overhead maps while not accounting accounting for the elevation differences. Pound per pound, the geography combined with the floating vs sunken ship made Halifax the far more destructive location.

@erikhertzer8434 6 лет назад

Fascinating! I wasnt aware of this incident...

@edstoutenburg3990 5 лет назад

Another good piece of History from Hg. Shipwrecks are fascinating for the history they represent. If you have Google Earth on your PC-look up the kmz files add on for channel wrecks.Its so many the markers almost block out map details.

@flagship1701e 5 лет назад

Geez. you know, you do such a fantastic job here. I think everybody who leaves a comment here should call the History channel, curiosity stream and the department of education and tell them to buy this guy's videos. Everybody remember schoolhouse rock? This should be the new Schoolhouse Rock. Hey history Guy, Time to educate our floundering children. A new "History Guy Rock between Saturday cartoons. Do they still have cartoons on Saturday mornings?

@benrumson1063 6 лет назад

You're like my new Mr. Peabody. Enjoy your commentary ~ Sherman

@joehnunya 6 лет назад

Ben Rumson I will hop in the way back machine with dude anytime. :-)

@stevek8829 4 года назад

Man, people under fifty don't even know that one.

@GLK-London 5 лет назад

Excellent episode,,but then they always are Sir! We often see the superstructure of the Montgomery sticking out at low tide as we live by the Thames :)

@johnringoo756 6 лет назад

another really good vid.!

@twinzturbo 6 лет назад

fun channel very informative, new subscriber !

@southwestpilot 5 лет назад

love your videos...

@hughbarton5743 Год назад

Splendid work, sirrah!

@joec3073 3 года назад

Great info

@familyman3573 3 года назад

I love the subtle wry commentary. :)

@philbyd 6 лет назад

That would be an awesome bang:better than New year:more interesting history,cheers

@v.e.7236 6 лет назад

Ha! Much to my chagrin, as a younger man I had been such a procrastinator, when it came to laundry, that I went out and bought new clothing to stave off the chore. Good piece.

@edwordwhy9491 5 лет назад

Wow, your summation is a clear warning. Scary stuff indeed.

@markroberts1301 5 лет назад

As always a very interesting video. Keep up the great work with there interesting stories! I'm kind of wondering about the claim for the size of the potential Explosion. There 2 Naval ammo explosions that seem that they would exceed the potential size of the amount of explosives here. The USS Mount Hood AE 11 an Ammo ship which blew up at anchorage. And the famous Port Chicago incident at Concord Ammunitions station.

@stevedoubleu99B 4 года назад

Thumbs up, History Guy!

@OllyHitchen 3 года назад

I used to live near Sheerness, was always surprised by how they just left it all there.

@forthrightgambitia1032 4 года назад

This is the first history guy where I have something of a personal connection. I worked for a now defunct steel making company Thamesteel in Sheerness a few years ago and learnt about this from the locals then - strangely it is not that well known in the rest of Kent, though apparently my grandfather used to talk about it. From the beach it is quite evident.

@Gribbo9999 6 лет назад

I was going to write about a ship wreck off the north coast of Bali that I have dived several times since the early 1990's. I thought all this time I had been diving a liberty ship so I tried to Google her name. Turns out I had been diving the USAT "Liberty". You can see my confusion, and now I know why I never could properly get the name of the vessel at the dive site... I knew the name all the time! Built in 1918, she was torpedoed and beached during WWII. She slid off the beach in 1963 during an eruption of Gunung Agung volcano. It has been fascinating seeing how she is gradually turning from ship to reef over the last 25 years or so. I hope I get another dive chance one of these days. Maybe a good story for a History Guy eposide? I'd like to see it!

@TheHistoryGuyChannel 6 лет назад

It is interesting that she sat on the beach for over twenty years before the mount Agung eruption.

@kejay74 5 лет назад

Very interesting information. My father served on Liberty's & Victory's during WW2. Sadly, he passed away when I was 4 years old at the age of 35. I am now seeking out such things as his Maritime Service Records in order to piece together a little of our family history. It would be interesting to cover the per capita losses of the Merchant Mariners in WW2 relative to the other branches of military service. Best regards, Ken

@patagualianmostly7437 2 года назад

Pretty sure I saw a statistic that said more Merchant Seamen died in WW2 than the three armed services combined. What I don't recall is the parameters used....ie, "British Merchant Seamen" or all merchant seamen. Perhaps someone could clarify for our benefit. What IS clear to me is that none of the Merchant Mariners (of ANY nationality) got just recognition for their service and sacrifice. Strange that the Russians to this day remember the lives lost on the Arctic Convoys, supplying Russia, whose sacrifice was also immense.

@jacktyler2880 6 лет назад

I discovered your channel only recently, and while this particular episode is over a year old, I just wanted to say you're doing a fine job with these; they're never not interesting, and I seek them out whenever I'm indulging in a little Tube surfing. Bravo Zulu!

@leonardlipton9874 3 года назад

Another interesting episode

@ericthered760 6 лет назад

Great video - like to see one on the French vessel SS Grandcamp which blew up in Texas City, TX in 1947.

@andrewwalker8762 5 лет назад

Hey History Guy, would you do an episode on the USS Chenango? She had an interesting history and carried planes to Africa for operation torch I believe. The stories I heard about her second hand through my dad from my grandfather are interesting. Thanks! I love your videos.

@DomingoDeSantaClara 4 года назад

I stayed at a campsite last year that looks out over the wreck. I didn't realise what it was at the time but came across a plaque that explained it. Not sure I want to go back to that campsite...

@MonkPetite 5 лет назад

Scary knowledge here. I can’t see the way how a terrorising group can set of the massive explosion you mentioned. Thats a big job to set up too. But the potential is evident and so must be removed before we have an new event that will be remembered!

@deadfreightwest5956 6 лет назад

Another good read, er, watch. I had hoped you'd mention Kaiser's welded liberty boats and how they made production faster. One boat was made in 24 hours. I seem to recall some high-ranking German official noting the rate of production of liberty ships and realizing we were building them faster than they could be sunk, hence the war was over. Hopefully somebody here will chime in.

@minimonkaloyd 4 года назад

I was trying (unsuccessfully) to find a mention of Kaiser's solution to the Liberty ship's problems with cracks in the hull- they overlaid a strap atop the mid-section of the hull to prevent the ships from breaking in two. Oh well...

@a-a-ronbrowser1486 2 года назад

I want to say he did another episode on this. I could be mixing up creators tho

@epicfails9105 5 лет назад

I wish you had your own TV show I love these videos.

@jeffreyharville1918 6 лет назад

as a side note: the U.S. Merchant Marine operated at least one Liberty ship well up into the 1980's: the renamed USNS Bowditch, she ran aground sometime in the 80's and broke her keel and was declared unsalvageable.

@peterk2455 6 лет назад

The USNS Bowditch of the 1940's was built in 1919 as a passenger vessel, commissioned into USN in 1940 as a Survey Vessel and decommissioned in 1947. So not a liberty or victory ship.

@andrewvanveen1804 5 лет назад

I thought that the Halifax explosion was the biggest to date.You might also want to note that in WW1 a number of the mines set up by the British did not detonate and he explosives are still there. Excellent episode and great series

@robertmartyr2041 5 лет назад

I live in Basildon, 15 miles from southend , and have been told if the mongomery goes we are all stuffed as it will be like a tsunami and when that gets to the bends in the thames through London well you can imagine what that's gonna do to the underground and all the houses, warehouses, shops ect. I do know they go and check the wreck regularly to check on it but the problem is time makes explosives more dangerous and one day it will go up and hopefully I'm not gonna be on southend beach cos it will be bloody hell. thank you history guy as I do enjoy your talks :0) liked and subbed too :0)

@simongleaden2864 5 лет назад

Interesting video, as usual. It's pretty scary thinking about what could happen, even 75 or so years after the wreck. The bombs and shells must have been very well made to be still explosive after all that time in sea water. Another British nautical story about which I'd like to see a History Guy video is the Invergordon Mutiny of 1931, when the sailors on several ships of the Royal Navy's Atlantic fleet refused to obey orders and get their ships ready to go to sea. This was in response to the British Government's policy of pay cuts for the armed forces to save money. The sailors went on strike and refused duty, but were, as I understand it, not violent towards their officers. In fact, many of the officers sympathised with their men and were appalled at how the admiralty had dealt with the need to cut costs.

@torgeirbrandsnes1916 5 лет назад

Great as always! What is the history behind all the hats you have? Happy 4th of July to you and your family!

@kellyraspymuffin8392 6 лет назад

Love your channel Can you do a history on street sweepers

@RCAvhstape 5 лет назад

I was once in an area in North Carolina where there were signs warning people that the woods still may contain unexploded ordnance from the Civil War. War is messy.

@skiptoacceptancemdarlin Год назад

😂 funniest history guy video yet 😂

@jumpferjoy1st 4 года назад

Remember many years ago, seeing the mast tops sticking out of the water. Not sure if they still are, but there are still the bouys around it to keep shipping clear. But, not only do you have the Harbour facilities along the Thames estuary, but the port of Sheerness, literally only hundreds of yards away, is/was a busy port.

@rorykehoe8565 3 года назад

Good round up of a tricky subject. Living in Kent (but happily about 35km from the SS Richard Montgomery) we've always known that there might be an issue with all this ammunition one day. Even 75 years on, this could still be a potential threat to the East End of London and the conurbations in North West Kent. As you point out though, who's going to make the decision to have a poke around, let alone volunteer to dive into the wreck. All very tricky, so perhaps leaving this sleeping dog lie is the best approach? There's a very good newsreel report, available on RU-vid, showing the April 1947 detonation of c.7,000 tonnes of redundant WW2 explosives in the Heligoland Islands. This gives some idea of what the c.3,000 tonnes of HE aboard the Monty might do were there to be an unfortunate incident. Moving a fully-laden Liberty Ship, into water too shallow for its draught, must rank as the ultimate in gold-plated, ocean going, maritime muppetry!

@christopherrasmussen8718 5 лет назад

Had the pleasure to work on, and sail on the American Victory in Tampa Florida.

@ajg617 6 лет назад

I've lived a few miles from an Air Force Base for the past 30 years. Part of the base was used as a range to train pilots during all of WWII. They are still finding munitions (typically 250 lb types or smaller) on the base and an AF team comes in and detonates them. The first time that happened, I was in the kitchen looking straight at the base and I watched the concussion come across the valley betwen the hill I live on and the hill where the bombs were detonated, my windows bow in when it hit the house, and all the dishes rattle. That was from 2 250lb 'training' bombs. They rise the surface over the years with the freeze/thaw cycle AND, they also float to the surface of ponds as they deteriorate. The last one was reeled in by a bass fisherman. Even after nearly 80 years, they are still considered dangerous and are detonated and LOUD. Also, look at all of the cookies still being found (and detonated) in Germany.

@jamestheotherone742 5 лет назад

Most of the explosives in a UXO (UneXploded Ordinance) disposal comes from the demo charge the bomb squad guys use, especially in older, deteriorated munitions like WWII bombs, to crack open the case and make sure that all of the explosives either detonate or burn. Because the only thing worse than an old UXO, is one that has been pissed off by an insufficient detonating charge.

@donaldhare2192 Год назад

Thanks!

@828enigma6 5 лет назад

Some of the bulkheads of the Liberty Ships were built in Asheville NC, a city near where I live. The bulkhead sections were shipped by rail to shipyards on the east coast for assembly.

@bigbadjohn10 6 лет назад

For a number of years while working in the area I used to eat my lunch overlooking the Thames estuary at this point with the Monty's masts clearly visible a short way off shore. The river at this point is fully estuarine with water with a clarity such that a viewing distance would be likely to be substantially less than a foot, as well as having strong tides with treacherous currents and a significant tidal range. I guess there could be a lack of people willing to dive in to retrieve the munitions by touch.

@kend3900 5 лет назад

Excellent story

@islandmonusvi 6 лет назад

A future 007 movie plot will be focused on the horrendous implications of this vulnerability. Get your script in , ASAP 😉

@Reddsoldier 5 лет назад

This ship is just over a mile from where i'm typing this. The locals around here just seem to forget it exists, with only a few buoys and the occasional mast at low tide as a reminder.

@runlarryrun77 5 лет назад

I'm not local, but I'm not far away either. Used to have family in Chatham/ Gillingham & we used to take their dog out around the marshes where the Medway Estuary flows into the Thames Estuary, so I've seen her several times. You're right, locals forget she exists & most people outside the immediate area don't know about her at all.

@kenshores9900 4 года назад

Funny story. Good video.

@kristinawashington1773 5 лет назад

Very good. :D

@MendTheWorld 4 года назад

When we lived in northern New Jersey in the late 1960s, there were dozens of “mothballed” liberty ships moored in the Hudson River north of the city. They were used for storage of surplus grain. We’d see them when driving up Route 9 along the Hudson River in the Catskills. I recall being very impressed by the number of them that were there. Not long after that they began decommissioning and scrapping them. navy.memorieshop.com/Reserve-Fleets/Hudson-river/index.html

@w8lvradio 5 лет назад

I wish I could find out more about my Dad's ship Liberty or Victory Ship "Thoreau" I think. It was called "The Bomb Ship". Made it through a North Atlantic storm, 1945 or just after. Bombs got loose, were rolling around in the hold. Was landed in Savannah, I think as aftermath and for safety not at NY or Charleston. I think that there was a newspaper article "They Made It" telling about it. I actually had that article but it was in bad condition. Couldn't read much more than the headline. Poor photos. Wired an SOS. A result of which: All ships were ordered AWAY from it for fourty Nautical miles. Sincerely, William Pietschman (Dad same name) Crew also used to shoot free floating mines (numerous) with rifles. He also went to Murmansk and was very lucky, a lot weren't.

@islandmonusvi 6 лет назад

BTW...my Dad was on a number of Merchant / Liberty ships ...including Suez, Anzio, and DDay ... so I can relate to the dangers surrounding this incredible story. Thx