Despite being given a preservative covering the bombs continued to suffer in the damp Welsh climate and in 1951 twenty-one 'Bellman' hangars were erected on the site to store the bombs. Finally in June 1954 it was decided to dispose of the entire stock because by then it was recognised that not only did the weapons have no military value but they had actually become a liability, which could only become worse as time passed. Operation Sandcastle was divided into two sections, a sea voyage to Cairnryan and then a transfer to suitable hulks there for later sinking north-west of Ireland beyond the continental shelf. It was intended to process 16,000 bombs in the first attempt in mid-1955. The work began with the construction of a road between Llandwrog and the nearby port of Fort Belan where six tank landing craft were assembled. Loading trials in June indicated only 400 bombs could be loaded on each craft, fewer than hoped. It was then decided to remove the tail-fins from the bombs to reduce their length, and to pack them in new boxes. This work increased each craft's load to 800 bombs and by mid-July all 16,000 devices had been safely carried to Cairnryan. The was the first scuttling ship. Its loading began in late June, and by 23 July all 16,000 bombs were aboard, although an ill-considered loading plan had given it a noticeable list to starboard. The three scuttling charges of TNT were positioned to ensure its sinking would be steady and flat, and the nine-man crew embarked. Departure was delayed by industrial action on the Firth of Clyde preventing the departure of the ocean-going tugboat "Forester". On 25 July 1955 the SS "Empire Claire", SS "Forester", and navy escorts "Mull" and "Sir Walter Campbell" left Cairnryan. The "Empire Claire" soon broke down and was taken under tow. They reached the scuttling point () in the early morning of 27 July, but waited until 10:00am for the arrival of an RAF photo-reconnaissance aircraft to observe the operation. The initial two scuttling charges blew and dramatically increased the vessel's starboard list, forcing the use of the emergency charge to open its stern and cause it to sink rapidly, bows up, to a depth of around . The later sinking went without any problems. MV "Vogtland" was scuttled on 30 May 1956 at the same site, taking 28,737 bombs with it, and on 21 July 1956 the SS "Kotka" was sunk (at ) with 26,000 bombs, 330 tons of arsenial compounds, and three tons of toxic seed dressings.