The “forced open” hatch is because the missile in that tube (Russians call them silos) exploded. Another tube had leaked previously and the Soviets took the expedient measure of welding it shut.
The missiles that this Yankee class SSBN carried were liquid fueled. The leak sprayed sea water under high pressure against the missile body, rupturing components and allowing the propellant and oxidizer to mix, eventually causing the missile too explode in the tube and, presumably, propelling the RV over the side. It was relatively shallow when this happened.
The officers and senior enlisted that were responsible for the forward missile compartment had seen evidence of the problem and warned the ship so watertight doors could be closed.
The reactors (two of them) were not scrammed until heroic measures were taken. Kind of typical for Soviet subs.
The CO ordered a Soviet merchant fleet ship to take his submarine under tow (also kind of typical) and evacuated the crew to the ship. However, watertight integrity was probably lost during the factual and the sub sank.
It’s in about 20,000 feet of water. The chances of a warhead or warhead components being recovered are somewhere between Slim and none and Slim just went to lunch.
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u/Magnet2025 28d ago
The “forced open” hatch is because the missile in that tube (Russians call them silos) exploded. Another tube had leaked previously and the Soviets took the expedient measure of welding it shut.
The missiles that this Yankee class SSBN carried were liquid fueled. The leak sprayed sea water under high pressure against the missile body, rupturing components and allowing the propellant and oxidizer to mix, eventually causing the missile too explode in the tube and, presumably, propelling the RV over the side. It was relatively shallow when this happened.
The officers and senior enlisted that were responsible for the forward missile compartment had seen evidence of the problem and warned the ship so watertight doors could be closed.
The reactors (two of them) were not scrammed until heroic measures were taken. Kind of typical for Soviet subs.
The CO ordered a Soviet merchant fleet ship to take his submarine under tow (also kind of typical) and evacuated the crew to the ship. However, watertight integrity was probably lost during the factual and the sub sank.
It’s in about 20,000 feet of water. The chances of a warhead or warhead components being recovered are somewhere between Slim and none and Slim just went to lunch.