Loss Of The Kursk

It's still widely unknown what destroyed the forward torpedo sections of the Russian submarine Kursk. A collision with an American spy sub. A botched training exercise. But whatever the Kursk hit, she hit it hard enough to spring the triggers in her torpedo room, igniting an explosion recorded nearly a 100 miles away. Out of the 118 crewmen, only 23 survived the initial blast huddling together in the aft section of the boat. The escape hatch was busted. There in a dimming light, the Captain scratched a few notes later found his is breast pocket:

"All the crew from the sixth, seventh and eighth compartments went over to the ninth. There are 23 people here. We made this decision as a result of the accident. None of us can get to the surface.... I am writing blindly...."

If a rescue had been possible, it would have come too late. The Russian Navy wrote off any hope of survivors almost immediately. So as water leaked in slowly through the propellor shafts, 23 unknowing men waited in darkness. Neither heroes, nor harbingers... just men waiting to die.