A Tragedy Kept Secret for 25 Years
For a quarter of a century, the tragic sinking of the Soviet submarine S-178 in the Golden Horn Bay in October 1981 remained classified. The event was buried under a “Confidential” stamp, shielding it from public knowledge. In mere seconds, after a fatal collision with an ocean-going refrigeration ship, the submarine plunged to the seafloor, taking 32 crew members with it.
The Fateful Exercise in the Sea of Japan
On October 21, 1981, the diesel-powered submarine S-178 was returning from routine exercises in the Sea of Japan. The drills had gone well, and spirits among the crew were high. In addition to the standard personnel, the submarine carried an extra officer—Captain Second Rank Vladimir Karavanov, a staff officer.
As the submarine approached Vladivostok’s Golden Horn Bay at dusk, it was surfaced, allowing several officers, including the commander, to be on the bridge deckhouse. Everything seemed routine as the vessel neared its home port.
However, unbeknownst to them, an impending disaster was approaching in the form of a fishing refrigeration ship, RFS-13. With its signal lights extinguished, the vessel was nearly invisible in the dim evening light. The crew of S-178 had no idea they were on a collision course with a disaster.
The Collision: A Deadly Blow
Seconds before impact, the Chief of the medical unit, Victor Grigoriev, who was on the bridge, caught sight of the looming shape of RFS-13. He barely had time to process what was happening before the massive refrigerator ship, traveling at full speed, rammed into the submarine’s hull.
The freighter’s bow struck the submarine in its sixth engine compartment, an area that was not yet secured due to standard entry procedures near the base. The force of the impact sent the submarine listing to the right, throwing sailors overboard. A gaping hole, estimated at around eight meters, was torn into the vessel’s structure. Within seconds, water gushed in, sealing the fate of many on board.
A Desperate Struggle for Survival
The flooding was swift and merciless. Within 20 seconds, seawater engulfed the fourth, fifth, and sixth compartments, instantly killing 18 crew members who were stationed there. However, their sacrifice was not in vain—the rapid securing of the hatches saved the lives of those in other compartments.
As the S-178 descended to the ocean floor at a depth of 32 meters, chaos and desperation filled the remaining compartments. Fires broke out in the second compartment due to electrical malfunctions, but the crew managed to extinguish them.
Leadership in Crisis
With the submarine’s commander thrown overboard in the collision and later rescued by fishermen, the senior officer onboard was Captain Second Rank Vladimir Karavanov. However, he was unable to lead—suffering a heart attack from the shock of the situation.
Leadership fell to Executive Officer Sergei Kubanin, who took charge despite the dire conditions. As he recalled in an interview with Rodina magazine, he was in the second compartment at the time of impact. Upon realizing the extent of the damage, he rushed to the central post and ordered an emergency blow of compressed air in an attempt to surface the submarine. Unbeknownst to him, the hull was already torn, making surfacing impossible.
In an effort to maintain morale among the trapped crew, Kubanin took out a bottle of alcohol, colloquially known as “awl” among the sailors, and poured 20-gram portions for the survivors. He even conducted an impromptu awards ceremony using official military documents and the ship’s seal, granting promotions to those on board. These titles were later officially recognized despite the extraordinary circumstances.
The Rescue Mission
As night fell, rescue ships began arriving at the scene of the collision. However, communication with the land was limited. Kubanin managed to send only a few brief messages before power failed entirely. The rescue efforts faced significant challenges due to the depth and the precarious condition of the submarine.
Ultimately, despite the efforts of divers and rescue teams, only a few sailors were saved. The S-178 remained on the seafloor, a silent tomb for the 32 submariners who perished in the disaster.
The Aftermath: A Lesson in Tragedy
The loss of S-178 was a stark reminder of the dangers faced by submariners. The investigation that followed placed blame on both the refrigerator ship’s crew and procedural failures in communication and navigation. However, due to Soviet secrecy, the full details remained classified for decades.
It wasn’t until the post-Soviet era that the tragedy was officially acknowledged, shedding light on the harrowing events of that October evening. The memory of the 32 sailors who perished in the cold waters of the Golden Horn Bay remains a solemn chapter in naval history.
News Source : USANews.net
