TL: SUMMARY OF SOVIET NAVAL ACCIDENTS 1955-1988 (GP) SO: Neptune III Papers, by William Arkin & Josh Handler, Greenpeace. As updated by the authors in November 1989. Compiled by Greenbase Information Project. DT: 1989 Keywords: nuclear weapons nfs problems warships ussr lists greenpeace gp accidents / Part One 1955 to Oct 1981. ------------------------------------------ To search for a ship or word, in IZE use Ctrl Q; in a word processor use your search function (e.g. F-2 in Word Perfect) --- --------------------------------------- 10/31/55: A Soviet cruiser hits a mine and sinks sometime in October. Conflicting reports described in the New York Times of 25 April 1956 place the sinking in the Black and Baltic Seas. Possibly the ship is an Italian warship given to the Soviet Union as war reparations, called the Novosibirsk. 12/31/58: In the late 1950s, a Soviet Northern Fleet diesel- powered submarine, possibly a Whiskey class submarine, reportedly sinks. The vessel was specially converted to be a test platform for a Soviet cruise missile, which was under development. The submarine went to sea carrying empty missile containers and sank on its return voyage. 08/13/59: A Soviet warship, believed to be a destroyer shadowing NATO maneuvers, collides with the West German coastal vessel Christel in fog 30 miles off Kiel, West Germany. The Soviet ship reportedly stands by with its engines stopped while the Christel's crew works to plug a hole, then steams off when the Christel is out of immediate danger. 11/08/59: The Soviet cruiser Sverdlovsk collides with the German coastal vessel Hilda Rebecca in the Kiel Canal. The Sverdlovsk continues into the Baltic while the Hilda Rebecca has to be beached for repairs. 12/31/61: In 1961 an accident in the nuclear power plant of an early class of Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (probably a Hotel class) reportedly occurs near the coast of England while ship is returning from a training exercise. Crew members were seriously contaminated and parts of the ship and its missiles were also contaminated when a cooling pipe broke. The level of radiation is reported to have been five roentgens per hour in the space where the pipe broke. After a two-month ventilation of the submarine, a decision is made to transfer the missiles to two diesel-powered submarines for their test launches. 09/13/62: A Japanese fishing boat collides with a submarine, believed to be Soviet, and sinks off Northern Japan. The crew of 16 escapes on rafts and rubber boats. 10/15/62: The New York Times reports that one of six Soviet diesel-powered attack submarines operating in the Caribbean during the Cuban missile crisis experiences mechanical trouble and is unable to submerge except for short periods. On 15 November the Associated Press reports that a Canadian Air Force patrol plane sighted the Soviet submarine off Halifax still unable to submerge. It eventually returns to the Soviet Union on the surface with a trawler escort. 10/25/62: The New York Times reports that well before the Cuban missile crisis a mechanical breakdown occurred in a Soviet diesel-powered submarine in the Gulf of Alaska. The submarine could not submerge and was escorted home by a trawler. 12/31/65: Mid 1960s -- the New York Times (5/25/75) reports that at a mid-1960s briefing on a naval intelligence gathering operation, codenamed Holystone, a U.S. official is shown a photograph of the underside of a Soviet Echo class nuclear- powered submarine apparently taken inside Vladivostock harbor. He recalls being told the submarine scraped the bottom of a Soviet Echo class submarine and knocked off some of its equipment during this mission. Briefing participants are told this happened at least two other times as well (see 5/25/75 entry). 06/04/66: The USS Banner (AKL-25) collides with the Soviet vessel Anemometer in the Sea of Japan. Both ships suffer minor damage. 12/31/66: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, around 1966, a leak occurs "in the reactor shielding of a [Soviet] nuclear submarine home based in Polyarnyy" on the Kola Penisula. "As the submarine entered the port the captain requested permission to proceed directly to the shipyard. Permission was not granted but the captain took the vessel there nonetheless.... A 'special brigade' was formed to repair the submarine and part of the crew was sent to a special center on an island near Murmansk where naval personnel with radiation sickness were sent to be treated.... Those sent to the island did not come back." 12/31/66: In the late 1960's (1966-67 according to some accounts), the Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker Lenin experiences a reactor meltdown according to raw CIA intelligence reports, or at least a "nuclear related casualty" according to the U.S. Navy. The CIA reports suggest that up to 30 people may have died and many others were affected by radiation sickness. The ship is abandoned for over a year before work to replace the Lenin's three reactors with two begins. 12/31/66: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, the Soviet November class nuclear-powered attack submarine, Leninskyj Komsomol, burns near the North Pole sometime in 1966-68. "The accident involved crew members being burned inside a bulkhead that was locked from the outside on both sides. The fire was caused by a spark of oxygen and did not involve the propulsion unit." The submarine was saved. The submarine "was one of several submarines which reached the North Pole under ice. The expedition was publicized in the Soviet press at the time without mention of the incident." 05/10/67: During joint maneuvers of Japanese and U.S. fleets taking place in the Sea of Japan the Soviet Kotlin class destroyer Besslednyi scrapes the USS Walker (DD-517) despite repeated warnings not to get too close. Both ships suffer minor damage. 05/11/67: For the second time in two days a Soviet destroyer and the USS Walker (DD-517) collide in the Sea of Japan. This second incident occurs when the Soviet destroyer "turned into and toward" the Walker, and, according to the U.S. Department of Defense announcement, the two ships "brushed together." The United States delivers what the Department of State describes as a severe protest over the incident, which again involved a Navy task force conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises. 12/31/67: Before January 1968, the USS Ronquil (SS-396) reportedly narrowly avoids capture by Soviet naval forces while engaged in a Holystone intelligence gathering mission. The submarine caught fire near the Soviet coast and was surrounded by Soviet destroyers which attempted to force it to surface. The Ronquil eluded the Soviet ships and escaped to safety (also see 5/25/75 entry). 12/31/67: In 1967 a Soviet November class nuclear-powered attack submarine has a mishap in the Mediterranean believed to be related to its propulsion system. The submarine is towed. 04/11/68: A Soviet diesel-powered Golf class ballistic missile submarine sinks about 750 miles northwest of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, in about 16,000 feet of water, killing approximately 80. In late March 1975 numerous papers carry stories on the CIA's attempt, called "Project Jennifer," to raise the submarine in the summer of 1974 using the specially constructed Glomar Explorer deep-water salvage ship. Part of the submarine is raised on 4 July 1974. The submarine was carrying three nuclear-armed ballistic missiles and unnamed official sources are quoted as saying the evidence also suggests that nuclear-tipped torpedoes were on board. 07/02/68: The Norfolk Ledger-Star reports that several months ago a U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine collided with a Soviet submarine, causing severe damage to the U.S. vessel which spent two months in Rota, Spain, for repair. The Navy declined to comment on the story by the paper's military correspondent who quoted a usually reliable source. The reporter noted that it is known that during recent months Soviet attack submarines have lain off overseas U.S. Polaris submarine ports, and that U.S. submarines have been given "wiping off" missions to prevent the Soviet submarines from following the Polaris boats. These missions apparently can get quite rough, amounting to what one officer says is "underwater chicken," with U.S. and Soviet submarines set on collision courses until the "chicken" turns away. "Presumably this is what happened" to the U.S. and Soviet submarines. 12/31/68: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, in 1968, a Soviet nuclear submarine sinks off Severomorsk on the Kola Penisula, killing all 90 on board. The submarine was overdue from patrol, and after waiting one or two days authorities initiated a search. Divers found the submarine on the bottom of the estuary to the Kolskiy Zaliv. When the submarine was recovered it was determined that all food had been consumed and it was estimated the submarine had been at the location for 30 days. 06/01/69: In June a Japanese freighter passing off De-Kastri in the Tartar Strait is severly hit and damaged by dozens of splinters from a Soviet missile, which the Japanese government later identifies as a Soviet SS-N-3 Shaddock cruise missile. 08/09/69: A Japanese fishing boat collides with a Soviet patrol boat off Hokkaido, killing 11. Japan rejects Soviet claims the fishing boat violated Soviet territorial waters. 10/31/69: Fall 1969 -- reportedly 18 months prior to 31 March 1971 -- a U.S. submarine engaged in Holystone intelligence gathering operations is beached for about two hours off the Soviet Union's coast, creating concern in the U.S. National Security Council because of the possibility of an international incident if the submarine is discovered (see 3/31/71 and 5/25/75 entries). 11/14/69: The New York Times (7/6/75) reports the USS Gato (SSN-615) collides with a Soviet submarine the night of the 14 or 15 of November 15 to 25 miles from the entrance of the White Sea in the Barents Sea. A crewmember is quoted as saying the Gato was struck in the heavy plating that serves as a protective shield around the nuclear reactor, but the ship sustained no serious damage. However the ship's weapons officer immediately ran down two decks and prepared for orders to arm a nuclear-armed SUBROC antisubmarine warfare missile and three nuclear-armed torpedoes. The accident reportedly occurred during a Holystone operation (see 5/25/75). According to former Gato crewmembers their commanding officer was ordered to prepare false reports showing the submarine had suffered a breakdown and halted its patrol two days prior to the collision. The Gato's commanding officer refused to comment when he was contacted due to security reasons. 01/10/70: A Soviet Foxtrot class diesel-powered submarine loses 20 feet of its bow section in a collision somewhere in the Mediterranean in January. Reports variously attribute the accident to a collision with another Soviet naval vessel or with the Italian liner Angelina Laura near the Bay of Naples. The damaged submarine was anchored off Morocco in early February and departed into the Atlantic with an escort on 7 February. 04/12/70: A Soviet November class nuclear-powered submarine sinks in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 300 miles northwest of Spain. On 11 April the submarine is sighted dead in the water with personnel on deck trying to rig a tow line to two accompanying Soviet ships. By the morning of 12 April U.S. Navy P-3 patrol planes find only two oil slicks on the surface where the submarine had been, and the submarine is considered lost at sea. The accident is believed to be related to a problem in the nuclear propulsion system. After the sinking Soviet survey vessels reportedly guard the area almost continuously for six months. Thereafter routine patrols are conducted until 1979, after which only occasional visits are made. 08/19/70: A Soviet vessel reportedly equipped with electronic surveillance gear capsizes in the North Sea, near where NATO ships are maneuvering as part of exercise "Minflotex 70." Before the NATO ships could come to its aid, a Soviet tug took in her in tow. The ship sinks in heavy seas on 25 August. 11/09/70: A Soviet Kotlin class destroyer and the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal collide in the eastern Mediterranean. The Ark Royal is only slightly damaged, while the Soviet ship is badly scraped along her port side. 03/31/71: The New York Times reports that a U.S. Navy Sturgeon class nuclear-powered attack submarine collides with a Soviet submarine 17 nautical miles off the coast of the Soviet Union while on a secret reconnaissance mission as part of the Holystone submarine intelligence gathering operations (see 5/25/75 entry). 05/06/71: The USS Hanson (DD-832) collides with the Soviet fleet tug Diomid in the Korean Straits, causing minor damage but no injuries. The Hanson conjectures the accident was caused by a deliberate attempt by the tug (with an icebreaker bow) to ram the Hanson. A sliding collision, however, was the only result. 06/07/71: The French escort ship Surcouf and the Soviet tanker Busharov collide in the Mediterranean 60 miles south of Cartagena, Spain, at night, cutting the Surcouf in half and killing nine. The front half sinks, but the stern section is taken in tow by the French destroyer Tartu. 02/24/72: A U.S. Navy P-3 Orion patrol plane sights a Soviet Hotel II class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine on the surface 600 miles northeast of Newfoundland. The submarine had an apparent nuclear propulsion problem which resulted in the loss of all power. Several deaths are thought to have occurred. The next day the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Boutwell sights the disabled submarine in company with five Soviet ships. An offer of assistance by the Boutwell receives no reply. The Soviet ships start back to the submarine's home base through heavy, stormy seas. On 18 March the submarine is still slowly moving across the north Atlantic now accompanied by nine Soviet ships and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Gallatin. On 5 April, the West German Navy reports the submarine had reached its home waters in the White Sea. 03/16/72: The U.S. Navy reports the rare sighting of a Soviet Yankee class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine on the surface northeast of Iceland. It was not clear whether the submarine was in difficulty. 12/01/72: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, in December a Soviet nuclear-powered submarine from the Northern Fleet suffers a nuclear radiation accident while on patrol off the eastern coast of North America. The accident involved leakage from a nuclear-armed torpedo in the Mine-Torpedo Department in the forward section of the submarine. Reportedly, "Doors were immediately secured in accordance with regulations and some crew members were trapped within the space where the nuclear radiation leakage occurred." 12/31/72: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, probably in December 1972 or January 1973 an undetermined accident during Soviet naval operations cripples a Soviet nuclear-powered submarine in the Atlantic. Reportedly, the submarine is towed "at a speed of two to three knots" for six weeks to Severomorsk on the Kola Peninsula, arriving in February 1973. Also, "The crew members trapped in the forward space initially consumed dry rations that were permanently stored in the compartment and later they received food through a small opening from the weather deck. Upon arrival at Severomorsk, crew members were permitted to debark the submarine. Several men died shortly after the accident, others later.... The majority of the submarine crew members suffered from some form of radiation sickness." 09/05/73: The U.S. Defense Department reports that a damaged Soviet Echo II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine has been sighted in the Caribbean south of Cuba with an eight-foot gash in the port bow deck. This is apparently the result of a collision with another Soviet ship, perhaps a cruiser with visible scrapes on its hull, during maneuvers of the Soviet Caribbean task force. The Pentagon spokesman said the submarine did not appear to be in danger of sinking. 10/07/73: The Soviet Kanin class guided missile destroyer 252 accidently releases a torpedo after an explosion in a torpedo tube while shadowing the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes during NATO "Swift Move" exercises in the North Sea. Other torpedoes are jettisoned to clear the tubes near the fire. 05/01/74: In May the USS Pintado (SSN-672) reportedly collides almost head-on with a Soviet Yankee class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine while cruising 200 feet deep in the approaches to the Petropavlovsk naval base on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Soviet submarine surfaced immediately, but the extent of damage was not known. The Pintado departed from the area at top underwater speed and proceeded to Guam where it entered drydock for repairs lasting seven weeks. The collision smashed much of the Pintado's detection sonar, a starboard side torpedo hatch was jammed shut and diving plane received moderate damage. The Pintado was on an intelligence gathering mission in Soviet territorial waters. 09/27/74: The New York Times reports that Turkey's semi-official Anatolian News Agency said that a Soviet Kashin class guided missile destroyer exploded and sank in the Black Sea with no survivors about two weeks ago. Both Turkish Navy officials and the U.S. Defense Department refuse to confirm reports of the sinking. The Kashin class can carry nuclear-capable SA-N-1 Goa surface-to-air missiles, but qualified sources doubted the destroyer was carrying any nuclear- armed versions since the ship was on its sea trials. Later newspaper accounts based on U.S. intelligence sources report that 75 or more people may have been rescued, but even so a minimum of 275 perished. 11/03/74: The USS James Madison (SSBN-627) collides with an unknown Soviet submarine in the North Sea according to Jack Anderson's regular newspaper column of 1 January 1975. The collision left a nine-foot scrape in the Madison. According to Anderson the two submarines came within inches of sinking one another. The Madison proceeded to Holy Loch, Scotland, to effect repairs. The U.S. Navy refused to comment on the incident. 04/23/75: The USS Snook (SSN-592) becomes entangled in a net of a probable Soviet fishing trawler while submerged at a depth of 150 feet in a submarine diving area 30 miles off San Francisco, California. The Snook is pulled to periscope depth immediately astern of the fishing ship, however it breaks free and clears the area. About 25 Soviet fishing vessels are in the area when the incident occurrs. 05/25/75: A lengthy story in the New York Times details a secret U.S. Navy submarine intelligence gathering program code-named Holystone. Using specially equipped submarines the Navy has spied on the Soviet Union and other countries since the early 1960s, at times within their three-mile limit. Several accidents resulted from these missions including the damaging of a U.S. submarine which surfaced under a Soviet ship during a Soviet fleet exercise as well as accidents listed at 12/31/65, 12/31/67, 12/31/68, 10/31/69, 11/14/69, 3/31/71, 5/1/74, and 12/31/74. Further exposes of the Holystone program are in the Washington Post (1/4/74), New York Times (7/4 and 7/6/75), Village Voice (2/16/76), Chicago Tribune (12/4/77) and Baltimore Sun (4/18/81). According to the reports, most of the submarines involved in Holystone missions were Sturgeon class nuclear- powered attack submarines, which also were armed with nuclear weapons. 05/01/76: Early May -- a Norwegian fishing vessel in international waters off Murmansk snags a Soviet nuclear-powered attack submarine's fin at about 450 feet below the surface. The Soviet boat surfaced and the fisherman could see the Soviet crewmen cutting at the entangling cables with hammer and chisels. The submarine was later towed toward Murmansk by Soviet rescue ships. 07/01/76: The Norwegian fishing trawler Sjovik snags the bow of a Soviet November class nuclear-powered attack submarine and is dragged backward for about a mile in the Barents Sea north of the Soviet naval base at Murmansk. The submarine surfaces, cuts itself free, and proceeds on the surface toward Murmansk. 08/28/76: A Soviet Echo II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine strikes the USS Voge (FF-1047) with its sail on the port quarter below the helicopter hangar, about 150 miles southwest of Souda Bay, Crete. The submarine departs the area under its own power to the Kithera Anchorage off Greece escorted by Soviet ships. The Voge suffers split bulkheads, buckled plating, and a damaged propeller and is towed to Souda Bay by the Moinster (FF-1097) and Preserver (ARS-8). The submarine damages its sail. In September the Voge is towed to Toulon, France. On 7 September the U.S. State Department announces that the U.S. and Soviet Union had exchanged notes, each blaming the other for the collision. 10/01/76: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, during October the launch compartment of a Soviet nuclear submarine of unknown class catches fire in the Atlantic. Three officers are reported killed. The submarine is able to return to port under its own power. 10/08/76: A Japanese fishing vessel snags a Soviet Charlie class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine off the Kamchatka Peninsula. The fishing boat is dragged backward until it reels in its nets and the submarine surfaces. The nets are cut to free the submarine. 12/31/76: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, during 1976 a sailor who had served on board a Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine of unknown class dies of "excessive exposure to radiation." He was exposed to radiation on board through his own negligence at least a year prior to his death and was in and out of hospitals before being permanently hospitalized in 1975. 11/24/77: The Washington Post reports NATO sources believe that the Soviet Navy is experiencing trouble with its Yak-36 V/STOL aircraft after an incident where the flight deck of the Kiev assault ship was set on fire by one of the aircraft. The Kiev itself had only been at sea for two weeks since deployment to the Northern Fleet in Fall 1976. 12/31/77: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, in 1977 a Soviet nuclear-powered submarine suffers an internal fire while in the Indian Ocean. The submarine is forced to surface in an attempt to fight the fire which takes several days to extinguish. A Soviet trawler subsequently tows the submarine to a port near Vladivostok. 12/31/77: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, in 1977 about 12 Soviet naval officers serving on a nuclear-powered submarine in the Atlantic return to Leningrad via an Aeroflot flight from Canada. The reason for the return was not announced but it was known at the time that these officers were taken from a Soviet submarine in the Atlantic by a Soviet fishing trawler and subsequently transported to Canada where they boarded the plane. The CIA sources suggest this may have been a medical emergency connected with radiation exposure. 08/19/78: A Soviet Echo II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine is sighted dead in the water near Rockall Bank 140 miles northwest of Scotland after experiencing problems with her nuclear power plant. On 20 August a U.S. P-3 Orion aircraft observes the submarine under tow to the Soviet Union south of the Faroe Islands. The exact cause of the problem and the number of possible personnel casualties is unknown. 04/18/80: A Soviet Mirka class frigate collides with the Danish minesweeper Fyen in the Baltic Sea during Warsaw Pact exercises. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs protests the incident, but receives no formal reply. 08/21/80: A Soviet Echo class nuclear-powered submarine suffers a serious casualty and loses power about 85 miles off the east coast of Okinawa. At least nine crewmembers are believed to have died from a probable fire in the propulsion spaces. A Soviet freighter arrives to evacuate the crew and a tugboat is readied to tow the submarine to Vladivostok escorted by several warships. The next day Japan advises ships to avoid the area, citing possible radiation leaks and refuses to allow the submarine to pass through Japanese territorial waters unless Moscow guarantees there are no nuclear weapons aboard and no danger of radiation leaks. The Soviets initially refuse to guarantee the safety of the reactor and enter Japanese waters despite Japan's warnings. But on 24 August, Moscow acquiesces to Japan's demands concerning safety, and informs Japan there was no radioactive leakage or nuclear weapons on board. Subsequently, Japanese examination of air and water in the area reportedly finds evidence of radioactive contamination. 05/01/81: In May the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Glasgow collides with the Soviet cruiser Admiral Isakov in the Barents Sea. The Glasgow's captain reports the Soviet ship was maneuvering dangerously. 06/04/81: A Soviet Kondor class minesweeper suffered heavy damage when she was in a collision in international waters with a Danish naval oiler in the southern area of the Baltic Sea. 09/01/81: According to raw CIA intelligence reports, in September a Soviet nuclear submarine operating in the Baltic "underwent a series of strong and sudden physical shocks. An emergency was declared and ... crew members were sealed into the compartment in which they were standing duty. The submarine was no longer navigable following the shocks and was taken under tow. It was towed for a total of 36 hours but was actually only moved during darkness." The submarine was towed to Kaliningrad and "the sailors that had been sealed in the compartment were then flown to Riga and hospitalized." The CIA source reports all the sailors exhibited signs of terminal radiation sickness. 10/21/81: The USS Cook (FF-1083) observes a Soviet Foxtrot class diesel-powered attack submarine under tow while conducting intelligence operations off Socotra Island in the Indian Ocean. 10/27/81: A Soviet Whiskey class diesel-powered attack submarine runs aground 10 kilometers from the Swedish naval base of Karlskrona, 300 miles south of Stockholm. The Swedish government alleges the submarine was engaged in illegal reconnaissance or mine-laying work and there was good reason to believe the vessel is carrying nuclear weapons. The Swedes demand an apology and an explanation. When the submarine captain is questioned he contends bad weather and a faulty compass led to the inadvertent intrusion into Swedish waters. But the Swedish authorities maintain that good navigation was necessary for the vessel to come this far into their waters. On 29 October a Soviet tug is turned back by Swedish warships and another unidentified submarine is spotted within Swedish waters and is pursued by Swedish antisubmarine warfare helicopters until it disappears. On 2 November the submarine is refloated by Swedish tugs to prevent heavy seas from battering the ship. On 5 November the Swedish government announces that the submarine probably has nuclear weapons aboard. Foreign Minister Ullsten says "it must be very embarrassing" to have this information released when the Soviets "have created the impression that they are more in favor than the United States" of arms control. On 6 November the submarine is returned to the Soviets. The same day the Swedish government expresses the view that previous Soviet proposals in regard to the Baltic as a "sea of peace" were no longer credible. Officials said the incident would affect Swedish attitudes toward Nordic nuclear-free-zone proposals from the Soviet Union. It is later reported on 6 May 1982 that the Soviet government had agreed to pay Swedish costs of $212,000 arising from the incident. (To Part Two; press Enter on the Triangle) SUMMARY OF SOVIET NAVAL ACCIDENTS 1955-1988 Source: Neptune III Papers, by William Arkin & Josh Handler, Greenpeace. As updated by the authors in November 1989. Compiled by Greenbase Information Project. Part Two : May 1982 - November 1988. ------------------------------------------ To search for a ship or word, in IZE use Ctrl Q; in a word processor use your search function (e.g. F-2 in Word Perfect) --- --------------------------------------- 05/15/82: Swedish coastal authorities report a Soviet destroyer or large frigate is on fire in the Baltic Sea, 22 miles off Latvia. 07/15/82: In mid-July the 30-foot yacht Fyfield Five is struck by an underwater object off the Tuskar Rock off Ireland and sinks. The owner Ken Roberts insists he was sunk by a submarine -- reportedly a periscope crashed up through the keel of his boat. The press is initially skeptical, but then a dockyard worker tells the Morning Star newspaper that the Royal Navy diesel submarine HMS Opossum was having emergency repairs done to her conning tower in Portsmouth. The Ministry of Defense admits the Opossum was damaged in a collision at sea 400 miles west of Plymouth, U.K., on the day Robert's boat sank, but says this is well to the west of where Robert's vessel went down. The Ministry of Defense is unwilling or unable to provide details, but does not deny reports the Opossum was hit by a Soviet spy trawler. 09/21/82: The U.S. shrimp boat Howard M. operating in the Pacific off Washington state snags what may have been a Soviet submarine, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The skipper of the boat Danny Parker reports he was dragged about a mile and a half until a cable snapped. 03/15/83: About 15 miles south of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, the West German fishing trawler Gertraud catches a Soviet or Polish Whiskey class diesel-powered attack submarine in its nets. The trawler is surrounded by Warsaw Pact warships on maneuvers in the area as the submarine surfaces so its the crew can cut the submarine free. The submarine resubmerges, leaving the trawler with a damaged net. 06/01/83: In June a Soviet Charlie class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine sinks somewhere east of the Soviet naval base of Petropavlosk, near the southern tip of the Kamchatka peninsula in the Pacific. U.S. intelligence reports most or all of the 90-person crew are lost. The cause of the accident is not known, but the lack of radioactive contamination is said to indicate that the accident was probably due to mechanical failure, not a nuclear power plant accident. The submarine is salvaged by the Soviet Navy in early August 1983. 10/31/83: The USS McCloy (FF-1038) is towing a sonar array west of Bermuda when suddenly the cable goes slack. The next day a Soviet Victor III class nuclear-powered attack submarine is sighted motionless on the surface 282 miles west of Bermuda and 470 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, by a U.S. P-3 Orion patrol aircraft. U.S. Navy officials believe that while the submarine was following the McCloy, the sonar array caught in the submarine's propeller. There is no indication of leaking radiation, according to a Navy spokesman. On 5 November the submarine is taken under tow by a Soviet salvage ship in the direction of the Cuban port of Cienfuegos. Further observation while the submarine is under tow leads the Navy to believe the damage is relatively minor and relates to the submarine's propeller. 11/17/83: The Soviet Krivak I class frigate Razyaschy collides with the USS Fife (DD-991) in the North Arabian Sea, causing minor damage to the Fife but no casualties. Reportedly the Razyaschy attempted to approach the USS Ranger (CV-61). When the Fife attempted to head off the Soviet ship, the two ships grazed hulls, leaving two 15-foot scrapes in the Fife's paint. Reports say the Soviet ship earlier narrowly had missed a collision with another U.S. vessel. 11/27/83: The lead ship of the Soviet Slava class cruisers returns to the Black Sea after sustaining possible engine damage while on its maiden voyage to the Soviet Northern Fleet. The ship had left the Black Sea on 16 September. 03/01/84: A Soviet Kresta II class cruiser suffers a two-hour fire while it is monitoring a NATO exercise in the Mediterranean. 03/21/84: The USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) is struck during night operations by a surfacing Soviet Victor I nuclear-powered attack submarine in the southern Sea of Japan, approximately 100 miles from mainland Japan, while en route to the Yellow Sea. The Kitty Hawk sustains a minor hole below the waterline in an aircraft fuel tank on the starboard side and continues normal operations. The Soviet vessel is observed dead in the water for a while with a dent across its aft deck. It is assisted by the Soviet Kara class cruiser Petropavlovsk and later is towed by a Soviet salvage vessel to the Vladivostok naval base. U.S. Navy officers say there was no evidence of nuclear leakage from the submarine. The Kitty Hawk had been taking part in joint U.S.-Korea "Team Spirit 84" exercises. The submarine had been following the Kitty Hawk carrier group with other surface ships for several days. Navy officials claim the carrier's escort ships deliberately broke contact with the submarine after simulating its destruction 15 times to begin a new phase in the exercise where the Kitty Hawk would use deception techniques to lose the trailing Soviet surface ships. The Soviet submarine apparently lost track of the Kitty Hawk and was surfacing to find it when the collision occurred. 04/02/84: At midday in the South China Sea the Soviet carrier Minsk fires eight signal flares at the USS Harold E. Holt (FF-1074) when the latter passes the Minsk's starboard side at a distance of 300 meters after disregarding a request from the Minsk to stand clear. Three flares strike the Holt but no one is injured. A U.S. Navy official acknowledges equal U.S. blame for the incident. 06/20/84: A Soviet Whiskey class diesel-powered attack submarine is trapped for three and a half hours in fishing wire of a Norwegian trawler in international waters in the North Sea. The submarine is freed only after surfacing and being aided by the Norwegian Coast Guard. 08/14/84: An unidentified submarine drags the British trawler Joanne C. around the English Channel for three hours at night after becoming entangled in the trawler's nets eight miles off the U.K.'s southwest coast. When the boat radioed for help the Coast Guard told it to cut its nets as the Royal Navy did have a submarine in the area. The Ministry of Defense later says the only Royal Navy submarine in the area was 30 miles away and that no U.S. submarines were nearby, leading to speculation the submarine belongs to the Soviet Union or another Warsaw Pact nation. Yet on 15 September the skipper of the Joanne C. receives compensation of more than 2,000 pounds sterling from the Ministry of Defense, something the Ministry earlier said it would do if a Royal Navy ship was found to be at fault. 09/18/84: A Soviet Victor I class nuclear-powered attack submarine is badly damaged in a collision with a Soviet tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar. The submarine reportedly was travelling in the "noise shadow" of the tanker while exiting the Mediterranean Sea. Jane's Defense Weekly notes that the alternating layers of cold and warm water in the narrows of the Strait make it likely for a submarine "to encounter sudden thermal gradients which make her porpoise upwards," and this is thought to be the cause of the accident. The collision rips off the twin-hulled submarine's bow section, exposing the sonar and torpedo tube compartments. The submarine proceeds to the Soviet anchorage at Hammament, Tunisia, for emergency repairs, before returning to its homeport on the Kola peninsula in early October. 09/18/84: The Japanese shrimping boat Sumiyoshi Maru catches a submarine in its net in the Sea of Japan. The vessel is pulled backward until the 3-centimeter steel wire holding the net is cut. On 20 September a Soviet Golf II class diesel-powered ballistic missile submarine is sighted on the surface with white smoke coming out of its conning tower in the Sea of Japan, 380 miles west of Tokyo. Reports speculate the smoke comes from a fire started by an electrical overload caused by the snagging of the fishing boat's net. Over the next two days the submarine is attended by several Soviet ships, before proceeding toward Vladivostok under its own power on the 23 September. 04/11/85: The USS Coral Sea (CV-43) collides with the Ecuadorean tanker Napo during air operations 45 miles southwest of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A 30-foot hole in the carrier's bow is punched in, and some radar and communications equipment is damaged. The Coral Sea returns to drydock in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia. Eleven aircraft airborne at the time of the accident are diverted to Guantanamo Bay. The Napo is holed above the waterline and spills 7,600 barrels of oil before reaching Guantanamo for repairs. A formal investigation later blames the Commanding Officer of the Coral Sea for the incident, saying he "used poor judgment in electing to be absent from the bridge during the entire launch and recovery cycle ... with a Soviet vessel within 1,500 yards and with other vessels well within" the closest point of approach limits the captain had established. 09/25/85: The Soviet military training auxiliary ship Khasan collides with the Turkish fast attack craft Meltem in the Bosporus, slicing it in two. There is thick fog at the time of the collision. 10/31/85: A Soviet minesweeper collides with a Swedish spy ship in the Baltic Sea. 01/13/86: A Japanese maritime patrol aircraft spots a Soviet Echo II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine under tow by a Soviet salvage ship about 280 miles northwest of Okinawa in the East China Sea, heading northward. The submarine evidently suffered a propulsion casualty. 05/14/86: The Soviet Navy logistic support ship Berezina collides with the Soviet ship Capitan Soroka while proceeding into the Mediterranean near Istanbul, Turkey. The Berezina receives a breached hull to the waterline on the port side. 10/03/86: A Soviet Yankee I class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine suffers an explosion and fire in one of its missile tubes 480 miles east of Bermuda, killing at least three. General Secretary Gorbachev sends President Reagan a private communication regarding the accident in advance of the public announcement on 4 October, assuring him that there was no danger of nuclear explosion, radioactive contamination, or accidental launching of nuclear missiles. U.S. forces sample the air and water around the submarine and detect no radioactivity. The submarine sinks under tow on 6 October in 18,000 feet of water about 600 miles northeast of Bermuda. U.S. sources said that the explosion probably originated in the liquid fuel of one of the missiles. 10/31/86: In late October the USS Augusta (SSN-710) is damaged in an undersea collision while on a routine training patrol in the Atlantic. No crew members are injured and the submarine returns to Groton, Connecticut, for $2.7 million worth of repairs by year's end. Reportedly, according to unnamed U.S. Defense Department sources, it is unclear whether the submarine struck the ocean floor or an underwater object, but there was no risk of the submarine sinking or danger to the nuclear reactor. A Defense Department spokesman refuses to comment on a CBS news report that the submarine "very possibly" collided with a Soviet submarine. 01/01/87: Sometime in the first half of January the Royal Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine HMS Splendid loses its towed array sonar system during a close encounter with a Soviet submarine in the Barents Sea off Murmansk. Reportedly the submarine was a Soviet Typhoon class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. It is unclear whether the Soviet submarine severed the Splendid's tow-line accidentally or deliberately in an effort to obtain the sensitive technology. The submarine returns to Devonport, U.K., on 31 January. 02/12/88: The USS Yorktown (CG-48) and USS Caron (DD-970) are bumped by a Soviet destroyer and frigate, respectively, nine miles off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea. The action came after the two U.S. ships entered the Soviet's 12-mile territorial water limit. 11/01/88: In November, according to a Soviet press account, the Soviet nuclear-powered icebreaker Rossia almost suffers a nuclear reactor meltdown when cooling fluid is accidentally released while the ship is in Murmansk. Emergency procedures prevent the core from overheating, averting a possible major accident.