K-8 was a November class submarine of the Soviet Northern Fleet.

Accidents

1960 Loss of Coolant

On 13 October 1960, while operating in the Barents Sea, K-8 suffered a ruptured steam generator tube, causing a loss of coolant accident. While the crew jury-rigged a system to supply emergency cooling water to the reactor, preventing a reactor core meltdown, large amounts of radioactive gas leaked out which contaminated the entire vessel. The gas radiation levels could not be determined because instrumentation could not measure such large scales. Three of the crew suffered visible radiation injuries, and many crewmen were exposed to doses of up to 1.8 – 2 Sv (180 – 200 rem).

1970 Bay of Biscay fire

According to news circulated by the controversial Mario Scaramella, Russian officials allegedly confirmed in 2004 that on 10 January 1970, K-8 received orders to lay a number of tactical atomic torpedoes as naval mines in the Bay of Naples, to be used against the United States Sixth Fleet.

Four months later, on 8 April 1970, K-8 suffered fires in two compartments simultaneously. Both nuclear reactors were shut down. The captain ordered his crew to abandon ship but was countermanded. 52 crewmen, including the captain, re-boarded the submarine, and were lost when she sank in rough seas while being towed in the Bay of Biscay.

References

• The Bellona Foundation (http://bellona.no) — Bellona material is ©, but "reuse and reprint recommended provided source is stated."

Additional Reading

• (2004). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines. Washington, DC: Potamac Books, Inc. ISBN: 1574885308 (paperback).