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- As of Sept. 11, 2000, Russian investigators believe that
Kursk collided with the USS Memphis of the US Navy. This submarine is an
experimental platform used by the US Navy to test new weapons and other
systems. It was manufactured in 1977 and modified for special-purpose operation
in 1989 and again in 1994. There are clear signs of a collision on the
damaged part of the Kursk's hull. This information was formally confirmed
by the top Russian military officials.
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- The collision was registered by Norwegian and Russian
seismologists as a weak "seismic event," which was followed by
a powerful explosion 2 minutes 15 seconds later. There is a number of scientifically-valid
explanations as to how a collision could have caused an explosion aboard
Kursk 135 seconds later. The exact mechanism of such a process is now being
studied. One possible explanation is the explosion of the air-hydrogen
mix produced as the result of seawater flooding the electrical battery
compartment located near the torpedo section. Such an explosion could have
sank Kursk or it could have detonated the torpedoes.
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- The USS Memphis was detected by the Russian nuclear cruiser
Peter the Great at the bottom of the sea not far from Kursk. The American
submarine released a communications buoy and transmitted a coded emergency
radio signal on NATO frequencies, requesting an emergency entry to a Norwegian
naval base. The USS Memphis was able to recover from the collision (it
was not as heavily damaged as Kursk, because the collision did not result
in any explosions aboard the American submarine) and, after pulling down
the rescue buoy, left the scene of the accident. The submarine's departure
was also registered by the Russian cruiser.
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- The USS Memphis was initially tracked by a Kamov antisubmarine
helicopter based aboard Peter the Great. Later, two Il-38 antisubmarine
aircraft, piloted by Lt. Col. Dergunov and Lt. Col. Dovzhenko, deployed
hydro-acoustic buoys and detected the USS Memphis traveling at only 5 knots.
The submarine was continuously tracked by Russian vessels, aircraft and
satellites until it reached the Norwegian port in Bergen. During the last
reconnaissance flight of an Il-38 on August 18, the aircraft's pilot -
Lt. Col. Dergunov - was unable to detect the submarine due to strong EM
and hydro-acoustic interference from NATO defenses. Later that day the
USS Memphis docked in Bergen.
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- The Russian Military Prosecutor General's office announced
that they are prepared to charge the senior crew members of an unnamed
vessel that collided with Kursk in accordance with the Article 263 of the
Russian Criminal Code. The name of the vessel is know to the investigators
but has not been made public. It was mentioned that the Pentagon has denied
the official request by the Russian government to inspect the outer hull
of the USS Memphis. After staying in Bergen in a dock for a short period
of time the USS Memphis left for a British naval base. Again, the American
submarine was tracked by the Russian Navy and by satellites.
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- Even the most furious opponents of the collision theory
are bewildered by the Pentagon's refusal to allow an external visual inspection
of the USS Memphis. This old submarine has been seen at public events,
photographed, videotaped and at least its external features ceased to be
a secret many years ago. Clearly, if the USS Memphis did not collide with
Kursk, even a brief inspection of its hull would be quite enough to lift
any suspicions. Such an inspection could have been carried out quickly
and easily, because the USS Memphis was sitting in a dock in Bergen. The
Americans refused a simple and reasonable request from Russia. This is
viewed by many as a de facto admission of guilt. The situation is aggravated
by the fact, that the Pentagon officials lied about the number of American
submarines observing the Russian Navy exercise in the Barents Sea: the
US military officials stated that there were two submarines, while there
were three submarines.
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- Many Russians, who support the collision theory, are
now concerned that the Russian government may try to avoid an open confrontation
with the US by not naming the vessel responsible for the collision. A similar
situation had place in 1986, when on October 8 a Soviet K-219 (Type 667AU)
submarine collided with the American USS Augusta. The collision led to
an explosion in one of the missile launchers. The crew could not put out
the fire and the submarine sank to a depth of around 5 kilometers near
Bermuda islands, taking the lives of 4 crewmembers. At the time the Soviet
government had its hands full with Chernobyl. In addition to that, Gorbachev
did not want to put any additional strain on the improving relations between
the USSR and the United States. The entire matter was suppressed and the
official explanation for the accident was an unexplained explosion of a
missile aboard the K-219.
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- At this moment, Russian prosecutors base their conclusions
on four major facts:
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- 1.The is a history of collision between American and
Russian submarines in the Barents Sea. 2.Three US Navy submarines were
present in the area of the Northern Fleet's exercise at the time of the
Kursk accident. 3.Immediately after the sinking of Kursk, one of the American
submarines left the Barents Sea to dock in Norway for repairs. The submarine
was followed by Russian reconnaissance planes and made an attempt to elude
them. 4.NATO officials refused an official request from the Russian government
for an objective inspection of the external hull of USS Memphis.
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- For more extensive coverage of the Kursk tragedy, go
to: http://www.aeronautics.ru/nws002/kursk001.htm
 MainPage
http://www.rense.com
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