The collision between the USS Baton Rouge and a Russian Sierra Class submarine K-276 Crab (later named the B-276 Kostroma) occurred on February 11, 1992, in the Barents Sea, near the Russian naval base of Murmansk. The USS Baton Rouge was a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine of the United States Navy, while the Russian vessel was a Sierra I-class nuclear-powered submarine.

The incident happened during a period of increased tension following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991. Both vessels suffered minor damages but there were no casualties on either side. The United States claimed that the USS Baton Rouge was operating in international waters at the time of the collision, while the Russian authorities claimed that the American submarine was conducting espionage operations in the vicinity of their naval base.

The incident led to a temporary increase in tensions between the United States and Russia, with both sides accusing the other of operating irresponsibly. It also highlighted the risks associated with the operation of nuclear-powered submarines in close proximity to each other. Following the incident, both countries agreed to work on improving communication and operational procedures to avoid similar accidents in the future. Despite this, the incident remains a notable example of the dangers associated with submarine operations during a period of geopolitical tension.

USS San Francisco (SSN-711) Crash, January 2005

John Greenewald — Sat, 28 Feb 2015 00:55:07 +0000

Background

On 8 January 2005 at 02:43 GMT, San Francisco collided with an undersea mountain about 675 kilometers (364 Nautical Miles, 420 statute miles) south-east of Guam while operating at flank (maximum) speed and more than 200 feet (61 m) deep. The collision was so serious that the vessel was almost lost — accounts detail a desperate struggle for positive buoyancy to surface after the forward ballast tanks were ruptured.

Twenty-three crewmen were injured, and Machinist’s Mate Second Class Joseph Allen Ashley, 24, of Akron, Ohio, died on 9 January from head injuries. Other injuries to the crew included broken bones, lacerations, and a back injury. San Francisco’s forward ballast tanks and her sonar dome were severely damaged, but her inner hull was not breached, and there was no damage to her nuclear reactor.

She surfaced and, accompanied by the USCGC Galveston Island (WPB-1349), USNS GYSGT Fred W. Stockham (T-AK-3017), and USNS Kiska (T-AE-35), as well as MH-60S Knighthawks and P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, arrived in Guam on 10 January. The U.S. Navy immediately stated that there was “absolutely no reason to believe that it struck another submarine or vessel.” Later, an examination of the submarine in drydock showed unmistakably that the submarine had indeed struck an undersea mountain which had only vague references on the charts available to San Francisco. (Source: Wikipedia)

Department of the Army Documents on Incident [7 Pages, 316 kb]- Original request filed to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) back in 2005. These documents took 6 years to get. Other documents are being processed.

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Collision Between USS Baton Rouge and Russian K-276 Crab (later B-276 Kostroma), 2/11/1992

Background

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USS San Francisco (SSN-711) Crash, January 2005

Background