The story of how a 'single man's assertive humanity saved the world from almost certain disaster.'
The story of how a single man's assertive humanity saved the world from almost certain disaster.The possibility for using a nuclear device in the war in Ukraine seems to increase, with both Russia and Ukraine blaming each other, while the rest of world watches in fear of a nuclear confrontation of ominous consequences. In this context, it is worth remembering how close the world was to a nuclear disaster as a result of the nuclear missiles installed in Cuba by the Soviet Union.
Probably because communication with Moscow wasn't always easy, the submarine commanders had orders to act without superiors' instructions if they deemed it necessary. Those orders involved even firing a nuclear torpedo of terrifying power called a"special weapon" by the Soviets, carried by each one of the submarines.
The crew of the B-59 had been away from home for three and a half weeks, in trying conditions and practically cut off from communication with Moscow. The Soviet diesel electric subs had to surface to recharge their batteries but, afraid of being spotted by the Americans, the B-59 had to dive further down with only enough charge in their batteries to last only for six hours.