Scorpion and Thresher

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Well they are still sunk...

This again? An Echo-II some how sneaked up on a Skipjack class boat and got within weapons range.

First an Echo-II sonar fit was garbage and is noisy as hell.
Second the best Soviet ASW fish of that time was the SET-65 which has about a 9 knot speed advantage over a Skipjack (not much). Unless fired from with in 2nm a Skipjack could simply run it to exhaustion.

The internal explosion (Mk37 malfunction) theory is far more plausible.

See the MK 37 "hot run" explosion was dismissed by many because the bow section was left intact and I agree.


I tend to believe the Soviets attacked.Either out of revenge for the Soviet sub or when the Scorpion was diverted at last minute to check out Soviet ships operating near the Azores, they had a submarine operating with them who detected Scorpion, saw her as a threat and engaged or was ordered to engage from by someone higher up than the sub Captain and even if her abilities were limited, she got lucky.

The Soviets had motive, means, and opportunity and evidence I've read about etc suggests it.Of course no one really knows but those involved.Hopefully one day the truth will come out.