The study is tasked to investigate and report on the generic hazard posed by the munitions now in Royal Navy warships and submarines that were sunk during World War II.

SDE are providing Class Data Sheets covering all the ships which were sunk, together with Munition Data Sheets for each significant different type of munition.  The Munition Data Sheets contain an assessment of the effect of immersion in sea water since WWII and the effects of ageing.  The covering report will make an overall assessment of risk based on expected sensitivity and NEQ.

The intention is that this will give MoD a crude measure of priority for any further action.  The study excludes RFAs, minor war vessels  and merchant ships.  So far the battleships and battlecruisers have been studied.  Only five were sunk and above is a picture of one of the most famous examples, HMS Prince of Wales at Singapore in December 1941 just before she was lost, along with the battlecruiser HMS Repulse,  at the outbreak of war with Japan (2 days after Pearl Harbour).