Weekly Online Lesson Online Lesson Archive Grade Level: 8-12 Subject: Technology/History

Nuclear Submarine Disaster

One of Russia's newest and most powerful nuclear submarines, the Kursk, sank on August 12, 2000, during a military exercise. The Russian Navy says it believes an explosion onboard led to the detonation of the Kursk’s torpedoes, causing a second, much bigger blast. The vessel is now lying at a sharp angle on the floor of the Barents Sea, some 350 feet below the surface.

Most of the 118 crew on board are presumed dead after video surveillance showed massive damage to six of the forward compartments. Crewmen who survived the initial blast could be heard tapping messages on the hull of the sub, but the messages fell silent after a few days.

Eight days after the accident and just hours before foreign help arrived, Russian officials admitted there was practically no chance of rescuing any of the crew alive. After repeated attempts, rescuers still have not been able to successfully dock with the damaged sub.

Vice Adm. Mikhail Motsak, head of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet, called it the greatest catastrophe in the history of Russian submarines.

In this week's online lesson you will learn about military submarines, submarine rescue vehicles, and the undersea game of nuclear deterrence.

Fast Attacks and Boomers

While some information about nuclear submarines is classified, you can learn a lot about them at the National Museum of American History site. Point your browser to Fast Attacks and Boomers, a comprehensive web exhibit on cold war submarines. Begin by reading the introduction and the "Strategic Triad" of nuclear forces, intended to threaten any would-be attacker with nuclear annihilation. How do submarines fit into this triad? What are the two major types of nuclear submarines in the U.S. fleet and how are they different?

Next, turn to the Cold Ware Timeline to review the post-WWII conditions that led to the cold war and building the modern submarine fleet. Begin with Origins of the Cold War and click Next to move to the next topics in that section. How did submarine design change between 1945 and 1960?

Learn more about the design and capabilities of a nuclear submarine at the Submarine Anatomy section. Read about the features of fast attack subs (don't miss the movie clip), boomers, and Soviet subs. What does the term "41 for Freedom" refer to?

Finally, turn to Present and Future to learn about the role of submarines in the post-Cold War era. While there, click Continuing Technical Progress to learn about new advances in submarine technology and two new classes of U.S. subs.

Rescue Submarines

In 1963 the USS Thresher submarine failed to surface from a test dive, and all 129 crew members died. Submarines were then capable of operating at greater depths than any rescue vehicles of the day. Since then the Navy has commissioned a fleeet of Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRV) to perform rescue operations on disabled U.S. or foreign submarines.

You can see one of these vehicles at the United States Navy Fact File site. You can also visit The Royal Swedish Navy has a rescue vehicle on virtual display at the Kockums Web site.

USS Nautilus

The Nautilus was the first nuclear-powered submarine in the U.S. naval fleet. Its construction was authorized by Congress in 1951, and it was launched 18 months later. Perhaps the most noteworthy accomplishment of the Nautilus was the first successful underwater crossing of the North Pole. The Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980 and is now a naval museum. Visit the Historic Ship NAUTILUS web site and take a virtual tour of the ship. Click the link at the bottom of each page to move from section to section as you tour the ship.

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