OT: Loss of the Scorpion, was Re: Naming Computers [was: A Momentous Decision]

From: Bob Shannon <bshannon_at_tiac.net>
Date: Thu Oct 24 06:47:00 2002

This is very close to the story I heard while in the service.

Apparently the torpedos have a safety mechanisim that deactivates the
warhead should it make a 180 degree turn, to prevent a 'wild' torpedo
from sinking the sub that launched it.

The story I heard said that they had a 'hot run' of a torpedo in the
tube, and were unable to eject it. So the sub made a 180 degree turn to
return to base and rather than deactivate the warhead, it detonated.

I gotta say, it sure takes guts to serve on those boats.


Geoff Roberts wrote:

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Eric Dittman" <dittman_at_dittman.net>
>To: <cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
>Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 12:17 PM
>Subject: Re: Naming Computers [was: A Momentous Decision]
>
>
>>>Though know one will really know the exact cause of the loss of the
>>>Scorpion, it is believed she was lost due to a torpedo detonating inside
>>>of the ship (like the Kursk).
>>>
>>I seem to recall reading that the cause of the Scorpion was
>>determined by the Navy but classified for some reason.
>>
>
>ISTR a tv special somewhere (Discovery?) early this year that suggested they
>may have had a 'hot' fish, and that the procedure was to launch it, then
>make a hard turn away, and that under some circumstances this would lead to
>the fish looping around and hitting them. Something like that. They ran a
>reenactment of such a scenario for the special and in that the fish hit the
>boat, so if they had reacted the way they did in the reenactment, which was
>done 'by the book' for that situation, then the same thing would likely have
>happened.
>
>Geoff in Oz
>
>
Received on Thu Oct 24 2002 - 06:47:00 BST