I don't see any other threads about it. They found it with an unmanned robot at 2700'. It's in 3 pieces. The collapse depth of that sub is 650'. They saw survival suits that had been unpacked but not put on so they figure the crew was getting ready for an escape attempt or something but didn't make it. It's only 1500 yds from where it dived so whatever caused it happened very soon after it went under.

Escape hatches on a sub are just to make the sailors moms feel good.

Bad way to go.

thats rough...

Yes, it is. RIP.

No disrespect. It is truly rare that the escape hatches can be utilized. Still have to train them though.

It really makes me sick to think about it.

We got a lot of men out there right now, operating in a hostile environment where mistakes are devastating.

Exactly.. The buoy cable attached to our sub was about 1200 feet long.. But the crush depth was 600 - and how many times are any subs operating in depths less than 600 '? We were told, right from sub school onward, that those buoys were for 'the mothers of America'...

RIP sailors

Helluva way to die. Hope it was quick. RIP to all lost in the silent service.

FWIW, Before every patrol we had to confirm that our buoy doors were securely welded shut, so they couldn't open accidentally and reveal our position. Didn't tell Mom about that part lol.

Found in 3 pieces? Would be more indicative of collapsing from external pressure or of an internal explosion?

Tough way to go

Glad the jihadist don't have it.
How long had they been operating it successfully?

Exactly what kills in this situation? The sub passes through crush depth and it implodes? Is there a big pressure wave which goes through the boat? Do the sailors know what is happening? Is death instant?

The sub is in an uncontrolled dive, you are very likely to have serious flooding casualties in some compartments before catastrophic failure.
Yes, the crew knows they are doomed.

I feel sad for sailors of the existential brotherhood of sea warriors who lose their lives at sea. RIP

If they maintain and operate submarines like they do airliners, it should come as no surprise.

Happy Trails

At some point part of the hull fails and now the outside pressure (hundreds of psi) is on the inside. Possibly isolated to one compartment at first, until something else fails. They always told us the residual diesel fumes in the air would immediately combust at a certain compression ratio but I don't know if that's true.

RIP.

In service to their nation....respect!!


Mike

I spent a little over 25 years in the USN and you couldn't get me on a sub at gun point. No how, no way. I have the highest respect for those that can serve on them. I hope my nautical brothers from a different nation a peaceful eternity in Davy Jones Locker. Fair winds and following seas may they rest in peace.

Designed for roughly 20ATM crush depth.
I am guessing either they were testing Max operating depth or something failed above max operating depth..
650' foot crush depth seems a pretty thin skin sub given the South China sea ranges from 2-5 kilometers (1-2mi) in depth..
And I think that is shallow compared to the Atlantic and Pacific.

I wish I could better recall conversations with my friends who were submariners.

That's what happens in a diesel engine but the pressure to make it happen would likely have killed the men long before it happened. Engine combustion will happen at 3 to 400 psi.

Submariners are asked to do what others fear. I knew a couple fellows who were on nuke boats, enlisted, rateds and junior officers, all of them were just completely unflappable, like the calm before a storm in the worst possible storm. They were, of course, heavily tested and evaluated by the head-shrinks before, during and after sub training and service. They probably went bravely.

We used to do North Atlantic runs off of Murmansk in winter.We were there to listen to the screws of the Russian boats so we could ID each one.One time we sat at the bottom at 500 feet.The old pig boat I was on was groaning like an old whore from the pressure.I thought for sure we were going to bite the bullet.We had a Russian trawler ram our Sail.Looked like we just got out of a war when we pulled into New London.A different Navy then Service craft.I loved it.

What boat? Only one I can recall in the later '60s in CT. was the USS Bang.... If it was a 'thick-skinned' boat, crush was 600 w/o pressurization. If you were on a thin-skinner, then you hadda pressurize to stay intact - and I'm not even sure 500 was possible, but maybe so..

I was on Redfish when we had to do a dive to test depth.. Cap'n did it slow, about 50 feet at a time once we passed 300 or so.. I was in the after torp room and was watching the tubes and hatch pretty closely... But no issues - went to 412, stayed there for 30 mns and brought it back up..

Feel sorry for the crew. Third world countries really don’t need to be operating subs. Hasbeen

I did one visit below decks on a sub, and when I saw how cramped were the quarters, and how the chow and other supplies were crammed into the torpedoes tubes, and in walkways below decks, I said no thanks, I'll do my thing in the air. Agree with respect for those who serve below the deep blue sea.

650’ is 198 meters; so about 20 atmosphere.
FWIW

The data I saw showed the boat had a test depth just shy of 600 ft and an estimated crush depth of 1500.

That was The Sea Robin(Boppin Robin)I was also on the Sablefish and Dogfish(Puppy Guppy)That was the deepest we ever went .The COB had told me how deep we had gone.Smoking light off and everyone was either laying down in bunks or in the mess hall or on station.We would snorkel at night to get fresh air and charge the batteries.Did that for two months.We spent 3 months in the yard before we went to get specialized Sonar for listening.