The Kursk tragedy unfolded during naval maneuvers in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000. Navy releases documents from Cold War loss of submarine By DAVID SHARP September 24, 2020 GMT FILE - In this July 9, 1960, file photo, the U.S. Navy nuclear powered attack submarine USS Thresher is launched bow-first at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine. The submarine was lost 62 years ago in close to 11,000′ of water and is one of four submarines that suffered this fate during the Cold War. The Stickleback is the sixth submarine wreck found by the Lost 52 Project, a private group based in New York that hopes to find all 52 of the missing U.S. submarines that sank during World War II, and all four U.S. submarines that sank during the Cold War. She departed for the U.S. the next day, arriving in San Francisco and participating in the Third Fleet parade on Sept. 28. They were taken on board for 18 hours, given food, water, medical treatment, and set afloat again a short distance from one of the Japanese islands. USS Stickleback was holed in a collision with destroyer escort USS Silverstein when it surfaced in an emergency during a naval exercise in 1958. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Navy releases documents from Cold War loss of submarineBy DAVID SHARPAssociated PressThe Associated PressPORTLAND, Maine PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Navy began releasing documents from the investigation into the deadliest submarine disaster in U.S. history on Wednesday, but the Navy said the documents released under a court order don’t shed any new light on the cause … The Thresher story was already well known. USS Stickleback was commissioned in 1945, toward the end of World War II, and had been on patrol in the Sea of Japan for only a few days when the ceasefire with Japan was agreed. Free Report: Drones in Maritime and Offshore Services? Stickleback is the third submarine to be discovered of the four Navy submarines lost since the end of World War II. Related: Photos: WWII Shipwrecks Found Off NC Coast. The Navy inquiry found weaknesses in the design and construction of the first-in-class nuclear-powered submarine, which had been built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in … Stickleback returned to Guam on Sept. 9, 1945. In nine years, Taylor and his Lost 52 Project Team have discovered six U.S. submarines utilizing pioneering robotics and methods at the forefront of today’s underwater technology. Thank you for signing up to Live Science. It had undergone sea trials and was back in the ocean for deep-dive testing about 220 miles off Massachusetts’ Cape Cod. The Stickleback's crew dumped compressed air into the submarine's ballast tanks until the vessel rose again and breached the surface — but now it was only 200 yards (180 m) ahead of the approaching Silverstein.The Silverstein tried to avoid the Stickleback by reversing its engines and steering hard left, but the vessels collided and the submarine suffered a devastating hole on its left side. The U.S. Navy remains the owner and manager of all its sunken warships and aircraft, but the vast number of wrecks means the NHHC isn't able to keep a close watch on all of them: "Our books are pretty full," Neyland said. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. The crew of an accompanying rescue ship heard something about the “test depth.” Then the sailors listened as the sub disintegrated under the crushing pressure of the sea. Receive news and offers from our other brands? The Discovery of the Stickleback is part of the ongoing “Lost 52 Project” supported in part by STEP Ventures and has been recognized by JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology) as the first and most comprehensive offshore underwater archaeological expedition in Japanese waters. All rights reserved. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, We can say, ‘Mistakes were made. The first sign of trouble was a garbled message about a “minor difficulty” after the 279-foot (85-meter) submarine descended to more than 800 feet.