Submarine Kursk and why it sank?

Remember this?

Later on nothing big was told and I don´t even remember hearing the end result of the investigations.

So maybe this is it?:


Own torpedo sank sub, Russia admits
By Ian Traynor
Moscow
July 3 2002

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/07/02/1023864731795.html

Two years after the Kursk submarine disaster left 118 Russian seamen dead, the Russian Government has ruled out the possibility that outside factors caused the sinking.

A torpedo fuel leak of highly unstable hydrogen peroxide caused the explosion that sank the Kursk in the Barents Sea in August 2000, the commission examining the disaster found.

Ilya Klebanov, the Russian Science and Industry Minister and former deputy prime minister in charge of the investigation, said that the final report found that the torpedo blast was the cause. It could not be explained until now because the relevant evidence was raised from the seabed only last month.

"All members of the government commission agreed with these conclusions," Mr Klebanov said. The conclusions would be handed to the prosecutor-general, who is conducting a separate investigation

 

Read in a book called "Lost Subs" about this. Interesting photo's showed (in color) how they raised most of it (I don't think they raised the bow section due to extensive damage).

 

I'll never forget what the U 181 vets did at their reunion in Bad Camberg when I was there in 2000.

We all linked hands and Dieter Hille, said a prayer for them all--in both German and English.

At that instant, I had more than 100% respect for those vets.

[ 16. July 2003, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

 

Kai, I appreciate you don’t get all the British media in Finland, very soon after the incident and well before any investigations, bods in Britain came up with high probability this was similar if not the same as happened to HMS Sidon in 1955. This accident led the Navy to abandon use of hydrogen peroxide torpedos, but, the Russians were known to have continued with it.

Hydrogen peroxide, the same stuff women used to use to ‘bleach blond’ their hair in 40% solution (i.e. a peroxide blond), is oxygen rich and though while relatively well behaved, does react strongly with brass and copper, (it makes a great cleaner IF you know how to handle it! – don’t try this at home kids!). Inside a torpedo are various brass and copper components – in themselves no problem. Part of the problem was pressure rupturing of the pipes carrying the hydrogen peroxide. Pressure built up (will build up) due to the torpedo motor ‘running wild’.

My understanding (Naval aficionados please comment) is that a torpedo motor has two basic speeds, off and maximum. The motor is started before the fish is fired, but, can endure a short spell of ‘over-revving’ before it hits the water whereupon the water slows its speed and provides some cooling.

With the Kursk, the boffins here believed either the command to start motor was given too long before the launch, the decision to launch was delayed after the command to start motor, or, someone was confused and/or over enthusiastic and started the motor without the command. Whatever, the motor ran wild too long, pressures built-up, overheating and even disintegration of components. The peroxide pipes either burst or were ruptured, peroxide came into contact with brass and copper components and released oxygen. The slightest spark and…………. In respect of the Kursk, it was also though there would have been a knock-on effect of one torpedo setting of another.

I’ve found a nice report on the old Sidon and development/use of hydrogen peroxide at:
http://www.walter-rockets.i12.com/hw/kursk.htm

BTW, some paranoid Ministry morons thought hydrogen peroxide might be used by terrorists to………..I don’t know what. It would need to be close on pure anyway, but, in Britain they have decided you can only by it in 5% solution!!! In other words, totally useless. It won’t dye hair or clean metal!!!!!! But across the Channel, 40% or higher no problem from any chemist, drug store or better industrial cleaning merchants - fact. [wobbling wrist icon]

No.9

 

I'm just glad that Crazy Ivan has finally dropped the Notion that it was an American Sub that rammed the Kursk.


Sorry Mr Putin the Cold War is over, we really dont care about your Nuclear Subs anymore.


Their old deisel subs are another story, at the rate theyre selling those babies...


Anyways, i watched a show on TLC about this a few years back, thats when i first heard about the Hydrogen Peroxide theory, and that made enough sense to me.

Thanks for the information No. 9

CvM

 

I don't make you wrong about their liking for accusing Uncle Sam CvM, old habits die hard I suppose.

If it was a collision, I don't think the other sub could just have 'walked away'? Whatever, still terrible for those in the Kursk who survived the initial disaster.

No.9

 

No.9,

The same thing also happened to the USS Scorpion in the 60's. This US sub was heading to the US after manouvres in the Med. After years of investigation, the US Navy finally made their investigation public in 1993; it was very probably hit by its own torpedo. It had fired one, either by mistake or emergency. As there was no target around, the torpedo homed in on the Scorpion itself. It was established that the captain did a 180, in the hope to trigger a safety mechanism within the torpedo, which didn't work. As the scorpion was faster than the torpedo, they tried to outrun it. They failed, with the loss of all life.

 

Thanx No 9!

Something like this in a pic?



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1478198.stm

http://www.joelertola.com/grfx/chrt_kursk.html

 

Did they determine how long some of the crewmembers survived in the Kursk if at all after it sank?

Greg

 

Found this:

Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov read part of the note after a meeting of the commission investigating the Aug. 12 disaster.
The note was written around 1 p.m. that day, Klebanov said, about an hour and a half after the submarine was torn apart by explosions and sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea. All 118 aboard died.
“There are 23 people in the 9th compartment. We feel bad...we’re weakened by the effects of carbon monoxide from the fire ...the pressure is increasing in the compartment ... if we head for the surface we won’t survive the compression”

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/kursk0001108.html

 

Very very sad.

 

Read 'A Time To Die' all about the Kursk disaster and subsequent inquiry findings. Unsure of author or ISBN sorry.

 

Thanx for the hint Panzerknacker

http://www.historyofmilitary.com/A_Time_to_Die_The_Untold_Story_of_the_Kursk_Tragedy_0609610007.html

A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy
by Authors: Robert Moore
Released: 14 Januar, 2003
ISBN: 0609610007

 

Been a while but never forget!

 

The Russians still put the blame on the Western military forces for Kursk. And Winter war was started by Finland. This is what they teach in school by Putin's order.