Chinese Submarine Sinks, 55 lives lost

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Chinese Nuclear Submarine Suffers Catastrophic Failure: What We Know
The alleged "catastrophic failure" of a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine caused the death of 55 sailors, The Times said. The news report was based on leaked British intelligence that said the incident took place in Yellow Sea on August 21. The submarine was identified as 093-417, which was armed with torpedoes. China has denied the loss of any submarine in the region, but the news report has been making waves across the world. The captain and 21 officers are among the dead, the report further said.
What happened to the Chinese submarine?
As per The Times report, the submarine was caught in a 'chain and anchor obstacle', which was laid there to trap the submarines of the US and allied nations.

This reportedly resulted in systems failure that required six hours of repair before the submarine could resurface. By then, the oxygen systems malfunctioned, resulting in the deaths of 55 crew members from hypoxia.

poor guys. they were just doing their duty.

caught in their own anti-sub device. somebody failed to communicate somewhere.

a reply to: ElGoobero

I've seen this movie, the sub resurfaces months later and fires nukes at some unexpecting target...

No but for real, six hours and they run out of air?
I question this due to the idea that subs are designed to stay submerged for extended periods?
Was this an older vessel?
how would the oxygen systems be effected by a chain trap?
Are US subs designed the same way? if so we should probably fix that.
I admittedly do not know much about the functions of a submarine so these are honest inquiries not mere speculations.

With that said, I feel the loss for the families of these sailors

a reply to: ElGoobero

The article is kind of all over the place. They talk about how the sub could resurface, yet at the same time they say the Chinese deny any sinking subs.

Well obviously, because it resurfaced. Then the article goes on:

Though no independent confirmation of the suspected loss of the Chinese submarine has come to the public domain, experts have spoken about what this means for marine life.

"If the incident has occurred, the global silence is perplexing. A nuclear submarine sinking should lead to global attention because a nuclear reactor leak due to damage can have serious consequences, including water contamination," a submarine expert told the EurAsian Times.

Jeeze, maybe it was because it resurfaced and didn't sink?

a reply to: ElGoobero

Operation of submarines has the illusion of being safe much like a carnival ride.
It's easy to forget how unforgiving water can be

originally posted by: TDDAgain
a reply to: ElGoobero

Though no independent confirmation of the suspected loss of the Chinese submarine has come to the public domain, experts have spoken about what this means for marine life.

"If the incident has occurred, the global silence is perplexing. A nuclear submarine sinking should lead to global attention because a nuclear reactor leak due to damage can have serious consequences, including water contamination," a submarine expert told the EurAsian Times.

Though no independent confirmation of the suspected loss of the Chinese submarine has come to the public domain, experts have spoken about what this means for marine life.

"If the incident has occurred, the global silence is perplexing. A nuclear submarine sinking should lead to global attention because a nuclear reactor leak due to damage can have serious consequences, including water contamination," a submarine expert told the EurAsian Times.

Funny this is a problem considering the world history of using the oceans as a garbage dump.

In the decades following World War I, and even more so during and after World War II, at least four major powers disposed of massive quantities of captured, damaged, and obsolete chemical warfare (CW) material by dumping them into the oceans. The jettisoned material consisted either of munitions containing chemicals (such as artillery shells, mortar rounds, or aerial bombs) or chemicals stored in large metal containers or encased in concrete. Shells and bombs were sometimes jettisoned unfettered, but more often were loaded as cargo onto ships that were sunk by opening their seacocks, by naval artillery fire, or torpedoes. (1) Because those sunken ships tended to settle on the seabed largely intact, the CW material they contained remained within a small area. Unfettered material, on the other hand, may be widely dispersed by currents, tides, and other forces. (2) In those times, the disposal crews did not give much consideration to the safety and environmental implications of sea-dumping CW materials.

[nonproliferation.org...]

a reply to: nugget1

Governments: "We irradiated vast strips of land, tested chemical and biologic agents on the population, dumped nuclear, biological and chemical waste in the ocean"

Also Governments: "You can't have plastic straws anymore as well as plastic ear swabs because environment".

a reply to: ElGoobero

Very interesting, thanks.

Seems the crew suffered poisoning and tried to turn around. Immediately, poisoning on a nuclear sub -- I'm thinking nuclear leak.

As they turned around and tried to make it back, they ran out of oxygen and into those chain and anchor traps laid around Shangdong province. While they were trying to rescue them, during the 6 hour operation, they suffocated.

My first reaction was - why is China laying traps in international waters? But it appears the traps are close to mainland and they marooned on the way back. Trying to get back.

Now there is just the risk of nuclear contamination for the surrounding areas.

a reply to: ElGoobero

Either its a nuke sub and would habe never ran out of air in 6 hours...or it was one of the older electric/diesel ones and RIP.

I guess China doesn't have Hospital Ships that could have met the submarine.

a reply to: RickyD

Nuclear subs still have to scrub CO2 from the air on board and generate oxygen. They do run out of air if something goes wrong.

The initial report of this was from a very questionable source, followed by a supposed leaked classified report. It’s doubtful we’ll ever find out the truth of if they lost a sub or not.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Sure...but 6 hours...would they normally run their CO2 scrubbers so hard as to only have 6hrs left? That would typically be something you would only do in rare occasion I would think...and that's even if it was just training.

a reply to: RickyD

Depends on what went wrong, if anything. Chinese subs are smaller than US boats in general so their oxygen systems are smaller as well.

U.S. ASW intelligence on the whereabouts of submersible vehicles world wide is rather phenomenal and very accurate.

I would not be surprised if our Navy knew about this craft being in trouble within hours of the beginning of the incident.

I feel bad for the crew of the Chinese vessel. There is a comradery felt by all submariners due to the risks taken and professionalism exhibited by those that partake in this dangerous but exciting military assignment.

If there was anything that could have been done by any nations naval vessels that may have been close, I am sure that it would have been offered.

God Speed to that crew.

a reply to: ElGoobero

Maybe that's only what they want the west to think when really it's a covert operation to infect Trump with a mutated Covid variant at the behest of the Biden Administration, Iran and Nestle..

But if true. My heart goes out to all those touched by the loss of a loved one.

a reply to: ElGoobero

What happened to the Chinese submarine?

Those pesky aliens in their USOs ?

BLOOP BLOOP LOL!!

originally posted by: RickyD
a reply to: ElGoobero

Either its a nuke sub and would habe never ran out of air in 6 hours...or it was one of the older electric/diesel ones and RIP.

I’m surprised they didn’t have some form of oxygen candles? Maybe co2 loading was too much?

A chemical oxygen generator is a device that releases oxygen via a chemical reaction. The oxygen source is usually an inorganic superoxide,[1] chlorate, or perchlorate; ozonides are a promising group of oxygen sources. The generators are usually ignited by a firing pin, and the chemical reaction is usually exothermic, making the generator a potential fire hazard. Potassium superoxide was used as an oxygen source on early crewed missions of the Soviet space program, in submarines for use in emergency situations, for firefighters, and for mine rescue.

en.m.wikipedia.org...

maybe this was some shakedown cruise with partial gear.

I would think a nuke sub would be crewed by more than 55.

originally posted by: charlyv
I feel bad for the crew of the Chinese vessel. There is a comradery felt by all submariners due to the risks taken and professionalism exhibited by those that partake in this dangerous but exciting military assignment.

I feel bad for the crew as well since they're just following orders. But, the idea of a 'chain and anchor obstacle' takes away some of that sympathy.