History 03/01/20 the Loss of the submarine S-178: as the Soviet refrigerator killed 32 submariner
For a quarter of a century the story of the death of Soviet submarine S-178 in the Golden horn Bay in October 1981 was under a signature stamp “Confidentially”. Then after a few seconds, after ramming ocean of the refrigerator, the Soviet submarine left on the ground along with the crew.
the Accident in the sea
Diesel submarine S-178 21 Oct returned with the usual exercises in the sea of Japan, the training was excellent. In addition to the crew on Board was staff officer, captain second rank Vladimir Karavanov. Came to Vladivostok Golden horn at dusk. The submarine was on the surface, some of the officers together with the commander went to the bridge deckhouse.
he recalled How the XO of the boat S-178 Sergei Kubanin, he then personally requested permission to enter the base from operational duty, and the good was received.
Meanwhile, to meet the submarine with the extinguished signal lights were fishing refrigerator RFS-13. The approaching freighter was for sailors as a complete surprise.
the Chief of medical unit of the submarine Victor Grigoriev for a few seconds before the RAM was on the bridge of the wheelhouse, and saw them looming Hulk of the refrigerator. Subsequently, the submariner was told that this machine at full speed and hit the stem in 6th the engine compartment of the boat where you don’t even have time to batten down the hatches (at the entrance to the base a mandatory procedure). The submarine fell on the right side, from the bridge fell into the water, the sailors. In the case of s-178 formed a huge hole (in the opinion of Sergey Chubynina, about 8 meters).
Struggle for survival
within 20 seconds, the water flooded the 6th, 5th and 4th compartments of the submarine.Eighteen submariners who were there, died, having to batten down the hatches (thus, they have saved the lives of other comrades). The boat sank at a depth of 32 meters. In an interview the magazine “Rodina” Sergei Kubanin recalled that in the second compartment almost immediately, a fire, which according to the operators managed to cope.
Vladimir Karavelov was the senior officer (commander of the submarine, which was at the time a battering RAM on the bridge, was thrown overboard and with the other survivors of the submarine were picked up by fishermen from the refrigerator), but lead to extreme conditions could not – had a heart attack, preinfarction angina. Commanded on the sunken S-178 Sergei Kabinin.
As he recalled Kubanin, at the moment of collision he was in the second compartment of the submarine, and after the impact, immediately rushed to the Central post. Gave the command to blow air so that the submarine could surface. These actions are nowhere brought: case C-178 was lacerated, but the divers did not know this. To boost morale, Sergei Kubanin took from his cabin a can of “awl” (as the sailors referred to as alcohol), poured on 20 grams. XO to sharpened on the depth of the sailors a little cheered even organized the awarding of the insignia and the next titles — it’s official, military tickets, ship seal that he had. One of the divers received the rank of warrant officer, second – Sergeant of the first article, everything was done on the Charter (later these titles has not been canceled).
… Night to the scene of the collision began to approach the rescue ships. Connection with the land, With 178 almost was not – Kubanin managed to convey only a few messages Vice-Admiral Rudolf Golosov assigned to direct the rescue operation. On the second day of stay under water the commander sent up from the submarine’s two crew members, Ivanov and Maltsev, – that they reported the situation to rescuers (all sailors remaining in the submarine,personal equipment diver – COI-60 is not enough).
it Soon became clear that a rescue boat “Goldilocks”, which was going to rescue the sunken sailors, faulty, and divers with her had no experience of such work. On the secondday Kubanin sent up three more divers, the most feeble. They do not have time to bring on Board a rescue vessel and divers were killed.
In the end, the divers managed to convey With in-178 missing ISP-60, but walled up the only exit through the torpedo compartment… bags with products that deliver no one asked. Sailor Peter Kireev died as soon as I heard that the course of the boat is locked. Heart stopped, and Vladimir Karabekova, unable to squeeze into a torpedo tube. When you exit S-178 was lost and sailor radio telegraphist Victor Lenshin, his body was never found. The last submarine left Sergei Kabinin.
the Mechanic Valery Zybin at the request Chubynina released the torpedo compartment from the sacks of provisions, and divers were chosen from a damaged C-178, meet divers “Lenka”. They accepted only the first six, the rest of the submarine “flew to the surface like champagne corks” and miraculously most of them (except Lenshina) died from decompression. Kubanin pushing comrades to the surface, and he nearly lost consciousness at the same time – not enough air, affected by carbon dioxide poisoning. When we got to the wheelhouse he passed out, the XO is automatically dumped on the surface.
the reason for the clash
As stated in the materials of the criminal case, on the refrigerator, on 21 October, celebrated the birthday of senior assistant Victor Kurdyumov, and the whole team, including the birthday boy was pretty drunk. Out at sea, they didn’t include flashing lights, although it was already dark. Submarine pinged, but Kurdyumov continued to stay on course, considering that the way of the refrigerator for some small ship, and it must yield to the fairway.
the Soviet rear Admiral, candidate of technical Sciences Nikolai Mormul, analyzing the causes and consequences of this tragedy, wrote that the collision would not have happened if the refrigerator does not deviate from given to him by Manager at 30 degrees across the Eastern Bosphorus Strait should pass S-178, and not the RFU-13. Moral, in the end the court, some of the blame laid on the captain of the submarine Valeria Marengo, who could not, in the opinion of rear Admiral, in time to play the alarm (if it zdravotna on the submarine hatches), do not pay due attention to the report From sonar-178 that found the goal (RFS-13) straight ahead.
Despite the fact that the main fault was a drunken XO RFS-13 Victor Kurdyumov, with his Marango eventually punished equally – gave 10 years of imprisonment. Kubanin petitioned for review of the sentence of Marengo, but in the end he himself had to leave the service in the Navy – command preferred to silence the incident.
… Rear Admiral Nicholas Marmol wrote that no awards of survivors from the sunken submarine S-178 is not received. The relatives of the victims (victims of tragedy of steel 32 of a sailor) has allocated 300 rubles.
Nicholas Syromyatnikov
Source:
© Russian Seven
see also: editor’s choice, “Russian Seven”wanted to do General Vlasov when surrendered in Planta was the biggest surprise of the Germans in the USSR after the beginning waynice not relatives of the deceased on pohoronok to understand that the body protein deficiency Recommended article to Share: Comments Comments on the article “the Loss of the submarine S-178: as the Soviet refrigerator killed 32 diver” Please log in to leave a comment! br>
Share on Tumblr