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USS Scorpion lost... Nuclear submarine...
USS Scorpion lost... Nuclear submarine...
Item # 565388
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May 29, 1968
LEOMINSTER ENTERPRISE, Massachusetts, May 29, 1968
* USS Scorpion lost
* Nuclear submarine
* United States Navy
This 12 page newspaper has a 3 column headline on the front page: "Hope Fades For Scorpion"
99 men were killed in this disaster.
Other news of the day. Light browning with small binding holes along the spine, otherwise in good condition.
wikipedia notes: In late October 1967, Scorpion started refresher training and weapons system acceptance tests, and was given a new Commanding Officer, Francis Slattery. Following type training out of Norfolk, Virginia, she got underway on 15 February 1968 for a Mediterranean Sea deployment. She operated with the Sixth Fleet into May and then headed west for home. Scorpion suffered several mechanical malfunctions including a chronic problem with Freon leakage from refrigeration systems. An electrical fire occurred in an escape trunk when a water leak shorted out a shore power connection.
Upon departing the Mediterranean on 16 May, two men departed Scorpion at Rota, Spain. One man left due to emergency leave and the other enlisted man departed for health reasons. Scorpion was then detailed to observe Soviet naval activities in the Atlantic in the vicinity of the Azores. With this completed, Scorpion prepared to head back to Naval Base Norfolk.
For an unusually long period of time, beginning shortly before midnight on 20 May and ending after midnight 21 May, Scorpion was attempting to send radio traffic to Naval Station Rota in Spain but was only able to reach a Navy communications station in Nea Makri, Greece, which forwarded Scorpion's messages to SUBLANT. Six days later, she was reported overdue at Norfolk. Navy personnel suspected possible failure and launched a search.
Category: The 20th Century
No Longer Available
