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Titanic Explorer was on a Secret MIssion
By Charlie
Wow:
Robert Ballard’s discovery of RMS Titanic’s final resting place in September 1985 was a find over and above his real mission. Newly declassified information reveals that the Navy contracted Ballard to investigate the wrecks of two US Navy nuclear submarines USS Thresher and USS Scorpion, in order to determine their fates. The search for Titanic was a side expedition to Ballard’s actual classified mission.After investigating Thresher and Scorpion, Ballard had only 12 days to search for Titanic, and amazing enough, he found her. Ballard says he used the same techniques of tracing debris trails in his investigation of the submarines to find Titanic.
That certainly wasn't included in that DiCaprio movie... However, the disclosure of the mission to find the Scorpion dredged up an old mystery:
Two deep-water submersibles have journeyed two miles below the Atlantic’s surface to investigate the wreckage. But 40 years after the sub’s disappearance at the height of the Cold War, it is still not clear what happened.The Navy’s official inquiry reached no conclusion about what sank the ship. Much of the Navy’s Scorpion file remains classified. Two recent books accuse the Soviet Union of sinking the Scorpion, supposedly in retaliation for the loss of one of its own subs in the Pacific.
There were several theories about what could have caused the flooding or the explosion.
One involved a malfunction in the boat’s trash disposal unit, which compacts garbage and ejects it from the sub while underwater. Another pointed to a torpedo battery that may have overheated and activated one of its own torpedoes. The weapon could have exploded in its tube or been fired – only to have its homing device direct it back to Scorpion.
...
Kate Wiltrout at The Virginian-Pilot lays another clandestine layer to this story:
Some dismiss the theory outright as fiction worthy of Hollywood. But the fact is, with the help of an American spy who had yet to be caught, the Soviets had a direct line into the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet submarine headquarters.With its network of hydrophones up and down both coasts, the U.S. undeniably had a defensive edge. Navy Chief Warrant Officer John Anthony Walker Jr. rendered much of that advantage irrelevant.
When the Scorpion was lost, Walker had been working as the communications watch officer for the Atlantic submarine fleet in Norfolk.
So is it possible that this POS Commie spy's betrayal of his country led to the sinking of the Scorpion? There is a preponderance of evidence, but uncertainty, decades, and the sea stand in the way of ever knowing the truth.
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Comments
DO NOT GET SUCKED IN BY THE PILOT'S HYPE.
The most likely reason why the SCORPION was lost with all hands was a MK37 torpedo hot run. That was a known issue with the electric drive that was documented to have happened on other boats.
Let them rest. They deserve at least that much.
There is a memorial at the submarine piers in Norfolk to the SCORPION. I passed by it every day when I walked to the boat and thought about what those men did...and what we do now. If you are ever at NAVSTA Norfolk, I recommend visiting it.
I read the reporter's book, Bullnav... and, true, I don't think the ocean will ever reveal its secret. However, the author had a very good theory, albeit made up with circumstantial evidence.
Malfunctioning torpedo battery was most likely the cause, but we will never know for sure.
"Pride runs deep."
Richard
Bull Sir,
You may well be correct with the "Hot Run"
analogy. What fuels the fire here is the fact that the investigation files remain to this day, classified. That said, one does wonder.
Joel, take a look at Stephen Johnson's Silent Steel. I believe it to be a more balanced study. That being said, I have the book you read collecting dust until I get to it...
For what it's worth, Kate Wiltrout is a personal friend and I've never know her to hype a story for the hell of it. She has done a great job covering the military in Norfolk.
Regards,
Eli
"What fuels the fire here is the fact that the investigation files remain to this day, classified. That said, one does wonder."
I speak with authority when I say that thsi fact is a manpower issue and not a secrecy issue. The official report is loooooong (>20,000 pages I believe). Some DC SUBFOR reserve units have been working on the process of redacting the reports for release, but it just takes time. With this recent new item, though, public interest in the matter has been somewhat renewed and RDML Mescherschmidt (Vice COMSUBFOR) is trying to get more people in to work the project using AT/ADT and possibly ADSW money. Bull, if you're interested, have the time before end of FY and medical conditions will allow drop me a line and I'll get you in contact with the right folks.
"When the Scorpion was lost, Walker had been working as the communications watch officer for the Atlantic submarine fleet in Norfolk."
I remember the Secretary of the Navy at the time seeking the death penalty for Walker, remarking (not verbatim) "If people had any idea what this man has done, the damage he has caused..."
As an ex. US Navy Veteran, I feel we are not being fully informed, but in the same sense, why divulge all of our secrets? Certain things should not be divulged, this goes with out saying for all aspects of the Military. As a Veteran, I'm sure that there are a lot of Vet's out there that saw some things that didn't need any explantion for being kept silent.
Bill
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I'm racking my brain as to why articles are reporting the revelations of the true nature of Ballard's work as "news." It's been openly known, discussed, and the subject of tv documentaries for about 10 years at least. Even before that was admitted, didn't anyone find it odd when watching the documentaries on Ballard that every single member of his crew had a Navy-regs haircut?
It was the same as the revelation that the Glomar Explorer was built to retrieve K-129. I wonder if they mentioned that in the other DiCaprio flick.
One has to admit, both Howard Hughes and the Titanic were great cover stories. There are so many stories from this era that have yet to be told. I wonder how many will ever be.