USS Scorpion (SSN-589)

"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg) 05/22/2020 at 19:04 • Filed to: None

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On 22 May, 1968 the USS Scorpion (SSN-589), a Skipjack class submarine, sank 400 miles southwest of the Azores, in 9,800 ft. of water, taking all 99 crew members with her.

There have been multiple inquiries over the years to determine the cause of the sinking, and multiple theories have emerged, but no definitive answer has ever been reached.

The loss of the Scorpion c apped off a bizzare 5 month period in which 4 military submarines were lost - the others being the Israeli I NS Dakar, the French Minerve, and the Russian K-129.

Rest easy, brothers.  We have the watch.  

facw > Snuze: Needs another Swede 05/22/2020 at 19:51

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Interesting Scorpion fact: Bob Ballard’s mission to find the wreck of the Titanic was tied up with the Scorpion. The Navy provided the resources for the expedition in exchange for Ballard discretely visiting the wrecks of Scorpion and Thresher, allowing the Navy to verify their condition, and see the Soviets had tampered with them (especially with Scorpion’s nuclear tipped torpedoes).   

someassemblyrequired > Snuze: Needs another Swede 05/22/2020 at 21:20

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Always struck me as a bit demotivational how all the streets on the base at Groton are named after lost subs, with the number lost and date of loss shown on the sign. I guess submarines are serious business, but it’s gotta be tough to see that reminder whenever you’re gassing up at the NEX.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > facw 05/22/2020 at 21:48

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Im familiar with that. Some of the old timers I work with worked with Bollard. One guy keep s a LOFAR-gram of the Scorpion hull implosion on his desk.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > someassemblyrequired 05/22/2020 at 21:57

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Its a deadly serious business. I probably came closer to death in the few years I spent on the boat than most people do in their lives, and that was only ever doing “routine” stuff (nothing is routine). But naming the streets after lost boats is just honoring a part of our history and a way of always keeping our brothers in our hearts.

someassemblyrequired > Snuze: Needs another Swede 05/22/2020 at 23:08

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I’m not ashamed to admit I find the sub ride at Disneyland is right at the edge of my comfort zone with water-based subsurface transportation.

It did shock me that I had never heard of most of these incidents before . I’d see a name on the street sign, go home and research what happened , and inevitably there would be a little bit of detail but never much. I guess that’s the point - as so much was/still is shrouded in secrecy, it’s a gentle reminder of those who served in silence.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > someassemblyrequired 05/23/2020 at 02:39

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Never done the Disney ride. I do a bit of Scuba but not much. I still work closely with the submarine community, and was supposed to ride a boat later this year, but now with all the COVID shit I don’t think that’s going to happen. But hopefully next year.

And you are right, there is little known about a lot of the submarine losses. In some case its classified, but in some cases, especially WWII and earlier, I believe the Navy honestly doesn’t know. Back then there was no satellite communications or anything like that, so the expectation was boats went out on patrol, executed the assigned mission, came home when they were done. There was no daily check ins, message traffic, etc. And there was also no SOSUS yet either, which meant no way to detect or triangulate an event. So so metimes boats just we nt out and never came back and we have no idea if they were lost to enemy action, friendly fire, weather, mechanical malfunction, or any other cause.

Also, I feel like we've had this conversation before, but what did you do up in Groton?  USCG Academy?

someassemblyrequired > Snuze: Needs another Swede 05/23/2020 at 09:49

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Disney ride just floats on the surface (I think it’s technically a boat) but you sit below the water line. So definitely nowhere near as cool as SCUBA.

Ah good point about communications especially pre-WWII. You might have a course and when the sub was due in, but that would be all you have to go on.

Yeah - I lived on the Groton side, in Gales Ferry , but taught mechanical engineering at CGA while my wife was stationed there.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > someassemblyrequired 05/23/2020 at 10:04

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Ahh, that’s right, now I remember. My father-in-law graduated from CGA in ‘77, in the same class as the previous Commandant, Adm. Paul Zukunft. W e had some new neighbors move in back in December and it turns out t he woman’s father was in the same CGA class as well . Small world.

Gales Ferry was a nice little area. I lived on base for a bit, then up at the north end of Norwich, then my friend bought a house in Uncasville right at Rt. 2A & Rt. 32 junction so I stayed with him. 

someassemblyrequired > Snuze: Needs another Swede 05/23/2020 at 16:21

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Yep it is, was at a wedding with Zukunft last summer, my wife’s good friend worked as his aide while he was Commandant.

Mmm Rt.32 and 2A:

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Golden Palace FTW

Snuze: Needs another Swede > someassemblyrequired 05/24/2020 at 09:20

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I remember that place!  I lived on the other side of 2A from that, though, behind the fire station.