Submarine QOTW - 14 NOV 2016
Background
Vigilis recalls attending a classified debriefing about the loss of the U.S. submarine indicated below:
The Questions of the Week
1 - An unusually high number of submarines vanished in 1968, including three (3) non-U.S. subs. Identify 3 of the non-U.S. subs sunk in 1968 (by names and navies) .
2 - The U.S. sub which sank in 1968 "was in a very poor state of preservation", according to its commanding officer.
- a) Who was the commanding officer?
- b) Some of its crew had derisively referred to the sub as (fill in blank) USS ____________.
- c) Name the vessel's major (most restrictive) known defect before its 1968 departure on a secret Russian spy mission.
3 - The U.S. Navy’s report on the U.S. sub incident is inconclusive. Several malfunction theories—and at least one conspiracy have arisen to explain the loss of the ship and its ninety-nine crew, but all lack hard evidence. What is the leading conspiracy theory?
4 - What major fact issue tends to confound the leading conspiracy theory?
5 - Does it now appear at all likely that there wuld ever be a conclusive explanation for the loss of the U.S. sub in 1968?
6 - What has been the convention (minimum average time) for submarine secrets to be divulged by various navies (in Vigilis's opinion)? ___ years.
7- How many years have already elapsed since May 1968?
8- BONUS QUESTION: Where is the longest submarine memorial in the U.S. now located?
ANSWERS: Friday, 18 NOV 2016.
Submarines are always silent and strange.
posted by Vigilis @ 5:31 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
1 - An unusually high number of submarines vanished in 1968, including three (3) non-U.S. subs. Identify 3 of the non-U.S. subs sunk in 1968 (by names and navies).
The Israeli submarine INS DAKAR, the French submarine MINERVE and the Soviet submarine K-129, if I remember correctly. It’s been a while since I wrote a report on this in ROTC back in 1983.
2 - The U.S. sub which sank in 1968 "was in a very poor state of preservation", according to its commanding officer.
- a) Who was the commanding officer?
CDR Francis Slattery
- b) Some of its crew had derisively referred to the sub as (fill in blank) USS SCRAPIRON.
- c) Name the vessel's major (most restrictive) known defect before its 1968 departure on a secret Russian spy mission.
Incomplete SUBSAFE Overhaul was performed to get her back to sea quickly. Because of the abbreviated overhaul her emergency system was not corrected for the same problems that destroyed USS THRESHER. Reportedly this meant she was restricted to a max operational depth of 500 feet.
3 - The U.S. Navy’s report on the U.S. sub incident is inconclusive. Several malfunction theories—and at least one conspiracy have arisen to explain the loss of the ship and its ninety-nine crew, but all lack hard evidence. What is the leading conspiracy theory?
Not sure if this is the leader, but that she was sunk by the Soviets in retaliation for the sinking of K-129 which the Soviets believed had been sunk by the U.S.
4 - What major fact issue tends to confound the leading conspiracy theory?
The Navy court of inquiry states there was not another ship within 150 - 200 miles of Scorpion at the time of the sinking. The conspiracy theorists counter that submarines are quiet and the attacking submarine was not detected. This has continued despite the revelation of the Walker Spy Ring and the Toshiba-Konisberg (sp?) sales scandal making it generally public knowledge how big a quieting advantage NATO had over the Soviets at the time.
But the idea of the Secret Sub War persists...
5 - Does it now appear at all likely that there will ever be a conclusive explanation for the loss of the U.S. sub in 1968?
Never say never. New Tech may provide a conclusive answer, or if the answer is already conclusively known but classified, then it could eventually come out; either declassified or Wiki-leaked, or who knows what other possibilities
6 - What has been the convention (minimum average time) for submarine secrets to be divulged by various navies (in Vigilis's opinion)? ___ years.
Not sure on this, as I am not familiar enough with you to be privy to your thoughts on this.
7- How many years have already elapsed since May 1968?
48 Years.
8- BONUS QUESTION: Where is the longest submarine memorial in the U.S. now located?
No idea. I will have to wait for you to answer this one. :)
Good work with answers 1 -7 to Howard C. Beam! The answer to 8 should no longer be unfamiliar to anyone as I just posted its ironic answer.
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