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From: jtchew@csa1.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: SUBS SINK TRAWLERS
Summary: Not common but it happens
Keywords: submarine nucleair fishermen trawlers
Message-ID: <1990Dec11.020908.28175@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 11 Dec 90 02:09:08 GMT
References: <1990Dec7.012627.2607@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
Lines: 26
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: jtchew@csa1.lbl.gov (JOSEPH T CHEW)
In article <1990Dec7.012627.2607@cbnews.att.com>, chcr04@vaxa.strath.ac.uk
 writes...

>Is there anyone who knows anything about accidents between subs and
>trawlers, anywhere in the world? Would this also happen with American subs?

It happened a couple of years ago off California.  The culprit was one of
the SSNs used in filming the movie "The Hunt for Red October," though the
accident did not occur during actual filming. 

If memory serves, there was a survivor, who reported the trawler being
suddenly dragged backwards at considerable speed, a process that did not
allow it to maintain structural integrity very long. Damage to the sub, if
any, was not reported in the newspapers.

I use "trawler" loosely to mean any small commercial fishing vessel with nets.
There may be specific technical reasons why some kinds are more vulnerable.

Perhaps someone will respond on the specific procedures and technologies
(if any) that are available to reduce this kind of risk.  

--Joe
"Just another personal opinion from the People's Republic of Berkeley"