New information added here! Only four countries are known to me to have launched torpedoes in wartime situations since the end of WWII. Can you name them? The answer is at the bottom of this page.
LCDR Solveig Krey is the only known female submariner commander. She is skipper of one of Norway's fine submarines. Good luck, Solveig!
The Argentine Guppy Class submarine Santa Fe, after landing troops at Grytviken Base during the Falklands War, withstood a vicious attack including bombs, torpedoes and missiles. At one point, a missile reportedly passed through the submarine's sail. Unable to escape to deep water, the commanding officer drove the submarine up on the shore to save his crew.
Russian TYPHOON Class (Russian name AKULA, or shark) SSBNs have a swimming pool aboard ship.
Only five countries operate nuclear submarines: the United States, Russia, Great Britain, France and China. India at one time had leased a Soviet CHARLIE class SSGN and is reportedly developing their own nuclear submarine.
Everyone has heard about submarines in early US history. Did you know that a submarine was designed and mocked up in 1:12 scale in Sweden in 1770 by D.P. Thunderberg? Although it would have worked, a full-scale unit was never built.
Here are some good submarine trivia items sent in from Scott Sumner:
1) Who is the first fourth generation submariner?
Brad Lipscomb (USS Buffalo, 1996) - father John Cohoon (Thomas Jefferson
196?), grandfather E.T. Sullivan (1940?), great-grandfather Ben Bloesi
(A-3,1919)
2) Which submarine "ran out of gas"
The R-19 (SS-91) in the 20's. The crew rigged broomsticks and sheets as
sails to get home.
3) Which single submarine accident claimed the most lives?
The loss of the French Surcouf in 1943, killing 159 men.
4) What was the fastest submarine ever built?
The "Anchar" (NATO Papa Class), at 47+ knots. This speed wrecked the
propulsion train from vibration.
5) What does the movie "The Sound of Music" have to do with submarines?
The father, Baron von Trapp, was the leading Austrian-Hungarian tonnage submarine captain.
6) Who was the first recorded submarine casualty?
Englishman John Day, who sank with his Maria in 1774.
7) Who, as a submarine captain, sank the most ships?
Kaptainleutnant Lothar von Arnauld de la Periere, who sank 196 ships for
a total of 456, 216 tons in the U-35 & U-139.
8) The United States briefly experimented with a submarine launched
airplane. What became of it?
The S-1 used a small aircraft housed in a hangar on the deck. When it
was deemed too unwieldy, the plan was scrapped. The hangar, however, was
salvaged and used to make the McCann Rescue Chamber, which was used to
rescue the crew of the Squalus in 1939.
Current Russian and Soviet Submarine Class Names
Many of us in America know the names given to the Russian subs by NATO. In Russia, "Project Numbers" and names for the classes do exist. Having gone through the current Jane's Fighting Ships, a dictionary and a friend in the Ukraine, here is what I have come up with so far. I know nothing about the Russian language, so I apologize for mistakes up front. I have them listed by NATO Name, Project Number, Russian Name, and the Translated Name. SSBNs
Typhoon, 941, Akula, Shark
DELTA IV, 667BDRM, Delfin, Dolphin
DELTA III, 667BDR, Kalmar, Squid
DELTA II, 667BD, Murina-M, Eel
DELTA I, 667B, Murina, Eel SSGNs/SSGs
OSCAR II, 949A, Granit, Granite
OSCAR I, 949, Antyey, Giant Greek God who ruled Libya
CHARLIE II, 670M, Skat-M, Ray
ECHO II, 675M (no name)
YANKEE SIDECAR, 667M, Andromeda, Andromeda
JULIETT, 651 (no name) SSNs
Severodvinsk, 885 (all using this name for the city/shipyard)
AKULA I/II, 971, Bars, Snow Leopard
SIERRA I/II, 945/945A, Baracuda, Barracuda
ALFA, 785SMT, Alpha, 1st. letter of Greek alphabet
VICTOR III, 671RTM, Shuka, Pike
VICTOR I/II, 671R/671RT, Kefal I/II, Mullet
YANKEE NOTCH, 667AR, Grosha, Baby? SSs
KILO, 877 (various) and 636 (export), Granay, ???
TANGO, 641B, SOM, Fish?
FOXTROT, 641 (no name) Auxiliaries
BELUGA SSA, 1710 (is this the Russian name? If so, a small, white whale)
UNIFORM SSAN (unknown)
YANKEE POD/STRETCH SSAN, 667, (unknown)
LOSOS SSA, 865, Pyranja, Pyranha
PALTUS/XRAY SSA, 1916 (unknown)
INDIA SSA, 940, Lenok, Salmon
BRAVO SSA, 690, Kefal, Mullet (same as VICTOR I/II)
Give up on the torpedo trivia question? The answer:
Great Britain (sank the Argentine cruiser Generalissimo Belgrano during the Falklands War)
Argentina (one of their Type 209 class submarines conducted 3 unsuccessful torpedo attacks, two against surface ships and one reportedly against a submerged contact)
Pakistan (sank the Indian frigate INS Kuhkri during the war between India and Pakistan)
Israel (INS Tanin unsuccessfully attacked an Egyptian Sloop Class frigate in a battle off Alexandria during the Six Day War. To note, they also conducted an insertion operation during that time and were attacked by Egyptian forces while waiting to pick up the 6 seals they had delivered.)
If you know of others that I have missed, please let me know.
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