The underwater Cuban Missile Crisis: Soviet submarines and the risk of nuclear war

Abstract

Extreme conditions, breakdowns, and careless management of Soviet submarines armed with nuclear weapons almost elevated the already high danger levels of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The underwater dimension of the crisis is explored through testimonies, Soviet documents, and an analysis of how both navies tracked each other’s submarines. Failure to communicate submarine surfacing procedures led to a confrontation between the US and the most dangerous Soviet submarine, B-59. – AI-generated abstract.