Scorpion Disappearance (ship)
The USS Scorpion was a nuclear-powered submarine that sank in May 1968, resulting in the loss of all ninety-nine crew members on board. Following a maintenance period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the Scorpion was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea but went missing shortly after completing its mission. The last confirmed radio communication was made on May 21, 1968, while its final moments were detected by the U.S. Navy's hydrophone system, indicating a distress event at a depth of about 250 feet. Despite extensive underwater searches and analysis of the wreckage, the exact cause of the sinking remains unknown, with initial theories regarding torpedo explosions and sabotage being discounted.
Importantly, the Scorpion was equipped with nuclear torpedoes, but no radioactive leakage has been detected from the wreck site. The tragedy left behind a significant emotional impact, resulting in sixty-four widows and ninety-nine children, with a majority of the crew members being relatively young. The Navy's inquiry concluded that there was no negligence or fault among personnel that led to the disaster. The incident sparked public speculation about potential enemy action and fears of nuclear contamination, although these concerns were later found to be unfounded. The legacy of the Scorpion continues to resonate, reflecting both the risks of naval operations and the profound human cost of such tragedies.
Scorpion Disappearance (ship)
Date: May 22, 1968
The second U.S. nuclear submarine lost at sea during the 1960’s. On its way to Norfolk, Virginia, from the Mediterranean Sea, the submarine sank with ninety-nine men aboard four hundred miles southwest of the Azores.
Origins and History
Following the loss of the USS Thresher in 1963, the U.S. Navy had initiated a major program to improve the safety of its nuclear submarines. The USS Scorpion was originally scheduled to receive these safety improvements during its maintenance period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1967, but tight schedules mandated a change of plans. The work performed on Scorpion was drastically reduced in order to get it back to sea more quickly. Because the exact cause of the sinking is not known, this reduction in repair work may not have caused the disaster, but the Navy will always wonder if it acted prudently in returning the Scorpion to sea.
The Sinking
After a maintenance period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the USS Scorpion left for the Mediterranean Sea in February, 1968. The ship completed its mission and sailed for home in mid-May, 1968. The Scorpion was last seen off Rota, Spain, the night of May 16, and the ship’s last radio message was received on May 21.
The death throes of Scorpion were apparently detected by the Navy’s hydrophone listening system on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Analysis of these sound signals suggests that some event occurred with the ship at a depth of about two hundred and fifty feet. This unspecified event caused rapid flooding and led to the sinking of the submarine.
After a five-month search, the Navy located the wreckage of the Scorpion in eleven thousand feet of water about four hundred miles southwest of the Azores. The wreck has been extensively photographed by underwater cameras carried by the Trieste II, a deep-diving research submarine. Careful review of the photographs has failed to reveal the cause of the sinking. Early theories that a torpedo exploded either inside or outside the submarine have been discounted, and enemy action and sabotage have been ruled out.
Subsequent Events
In addition to its two nuclear reactors, the Scorpion carried two nuclear torpedoes. None of the nuclear material has been recovered from the wreck, but careful monitoring has revealed no radioactive leakage decades after the event.
Impact
The crew left behind sixty-four widows, some pregnant, and ninety-nine children. Sailors represented twenty-five states, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Most of the twelve officers and eighty-seven enlisted men who perished were younger than twenty-five. The Navy’s Court of Inquiry concluded, “The evidence does not establish that the loss of Scorpion and deaths of those embarked were caused by the intent, fault, negligence, or inefficiency of any person or persons in the naval service or connected therewith.” The ship’s disappearance gave rise to speculation that the submarine had been sunk through enemy action or sabotage, and many Americans feared nuclear contamination of the ocean. Although these rumors and fears later proved groundless, the disaster, with its large loss of life, still shocked many Americans.
Additional Information
In his 1984 book Lost at Sea, A. A. Hoehling devotes almost thirty pages, including underwater photographs, to the Scorpion disaster.