1USS Triton’s Earth Circumnavigation
USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586) was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth (Operation Sandblast) in the early 1960s.
2. USS Bowfin is the only submarine ever to sink a bus with a torpedo.
3. During the sea trials of HMS Thetis in 1939, the inner hatch of a torpedo tube opened simultaneously with the outer hatch to the sea. As it began to sink, the submarine's escape chamber saved four lives, but the fifth person panicked when using it, dooming all 98 others aboard.
4. On the night of July 22-23, 1945, USN Commander Eugene Fluckey sent a shore party from his submarine, the USS Barb (SS-220), to sabotage a railroad. The raiders became the only Allied force to invade mainland Japan in the war, and the Barb became the only sub in history with a confirmed kill on a train.
5. USS Tang was one of the most successful submarines in World War II but accidentally sank itself with its own torpedo.
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6USS Thresher’s Tragic Implosion
In a fatal submarine accident in 1963, the nuclear submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593) sank to 610 m (2,000 ft), imploding in 0.1 seconds and killing all 128 crew members. Theoretically, the sub lost power during a failed deep dive test, causing its vital ballast systems to freeze and rendering the ship unusable.
7. The UK has four nuclear submarines as a nuclear deterrent, each with an identical "letter of last resort." These letters contain orders from the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom should the government collapse due to a nuclear attack. When a new PM assumes office, they destroy the unopened letters, leaving the PM with only four options to choose from.
8. During World War II, the British submarine HMS Trident had a reindeer doe named Pollyanna onboard. An unexpected gift from the Soviet Union, Pollyanna reportedly adapted well to life onboard, ate several maps, and eventually survived the war to live out the rest of her life in a British zoo.
9. The HMS Conqueror submarine stole a passive sonar array from a Soviet ship in 1982. The sub used mechanical pincers mounted on its bow to cut the cable, creating the illusion that it had snagged on terrain. Despite being just feet away from the ship, no one detected her.
10. In 1959, the USS Barbero submarine fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile carrying 3,000 letters toward a naval base in Mayport, Florida, as part of the Post Office Department's plan to test the capabilities of 'missile mail.'
11USS Wahoo’s Atlas Discovery
During World War II, the US submarine USS Wahoo narrowed down vague coordinates and eventually found a Japanese supply base by using a school atlas that one of its crew members bought in Australia for his children back home.
12. The Confederate submarine CSS Hunley sank three times, killing her entire crew each time.
13. During the 2005 war games, the Swedish submarine HSMS Gotland was able to sneak through the sonar defenses of the US Navy Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan and its entire accompanying group. After virtually sinking the US aircraft carrier on its own, the Gotland managed to escape undetected.
14. A Japanese submarine shelled California during World War II, and the commander directed his gun to fire at a spot where he had an embarrassing fall before the war.
15. The first nuclear submarine used wooden bearings for its propeller. Lignum vitae is the hardest traded wood, the fourth hardest wood ever discovered, and is "self-oiling."
16Changcheng 361 Crew Suffocation
In 2003, when fishermen spotted a periscope above the surface, they discovered the Chinese Ming III-class submarine Changcheng 361 adrift. They found all 70 of the crew members dead. An investigation revealed that the submarine's diesel engine had used up all available oxygen. The crew, slumped over at their stations, appeared to have died before becoming aware of any issue.
17. In 1998, a South Korean fishing net literally trapped a North Korean espionage submarine. As the South Korean navy was towing it to port, the sub sank. When the nine-member crew was salvaged, five were found executed and four had committed suicide.
18. A single U.S. Navy Ohio-class submarine can launch 240 nuclear warheads, each equivalent to 30 Hiroshima bombs.
19. Soviet-designed Typhoon-class submarines had a swimming pool and a sauna on board, along with other luxury features like a full gym and wood-paneled walls.
20. During World War II, Allied submarines would lie on beds of pistol shrimp. The shrimp's loud snapping sound prevented Japanese sonar from picking up the submarines.
21Nazi Subs Surrender in Argentina
When Berlin fell at the end of World War II, two Nazi submarines refused to surrender and were instead submerged for two months before landing in Argentina. There are reports that one of the submarines offloaded a Nazi officer prior to detection.
22. The Soviet Navy Whiskey-class submarine S-363 ran aground on October 27, 1981, on the south coast of Sweden, approximately 10 km from Karlskrona, one of the largest Swedish naval bases. This incident sparked an international incident, often referred to as the Whiskey on the Rocks incident.
23. Australia's entire submarine fleet, the Collins Class, was unfortunately way too noisy underwater until the next-door neighbor of the submarine base met the fleet commander and sketched a design on the whiteboard that was subsequently retrofitted across the fleet.
24. The Pentagon freaked out in the 1980s when they realized Finland had, against their expectations, managed to build two Mir submarines capable of diving to 6,000 meters. They went on to shut down the entire Finnish submarine industry by privately threatening the country with heavy sanctions.
25. In September 1978, a 15-cent paint scraper jammed the loading piston in the cylinder of the US nuclear submarine USS Swordfish's torpedo launcher. Divers failed to free the piston, leading to the sub's drydocking and repair at a staggering cost of $171,000.
