Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
GUEST,Charmion at work BS: Canadian Submarines (157* d) RE: BS: Canadian Submarines 07 Oct 04

The CHICOUTIMI incident reminds me unpleasantly of the engine-room fire aboard the Restigouche-class destroyer HMCS KOOTENAY (23 October 1969), which killed nine sailors and injured 53. That disaster was caused by an explosion in the starboard gearcase, the result of friction on a component that was installed incorrectly (backwards, if I remember correctly) during maintenance at HM Dockyard Portsmouth.

The unpleasant fact is that warships are complicated and dangerous equipment, and submarines are the most complicated and dangerous of warships. It's not for nothing submariners are the highest-paid sailors in the navy, sharing a tax-bracket with aircrew and the folks who do explosive ordnance disposal. The good part of this story is that the casualty list isn't longer and the boat itself is still rolling around on top of the oggin.

Lt(N) Saunders will be missed. I just hope CHICOUTIMI doesn't become a hard-luck boat.

Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.
   * Click on the linked number with * to view the thread split into pages (click "d" for chronologically descending).

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.