Another Privately-Operated Submarine Lost |

Another Privately-Operated Submarine Lost; Six are Dead

I’ve written six novels about exploring the ocean deeps. The oceans are more accessible than outer space, but in many ways they are more dangerous. The pressure at depth is inexorable, and submarines have to be engineered to withstand this — with an immense built-in safety margin. Any flooding or damage to the hull can result in a rapid loss of buoyancy, and if the ocean floor is too far below, then implosion can result.

In WWI, submarines could make depths of roughly 50 meters (roughly 150 feet). In WWII, these depths had roughly doubled to 100 metres, or 300 feet. Technology has increased rapidly, and today’s military submarine hulls have an estimated capability of roughly double that of WWII: possibly around 200 meters. The Seawolf Class, however, has been tested at 490 metres. Crush depths vary tremendously, depending on the class of vessel. They might be as great as 800 metres, or perhaps approaching one kilometre underwater. (To compare with my series, The Rise of Oceania, seacars and warsubs have maximum depths of 2000 to 4000 metres … at least in the first book. Things change as the series progresses, as technology improves, just as in real life.)

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There have been military disasters in the past. Some have been thoroughly documented and researched. They include the US nuclear subs Thresher and Scorpion, and the Russian nuclear sub Kursk. I wrote about Thresher in my underwater thriller The War Beneath. Ballast pipes burst in areas with sensitive electronics, the reactor shut down automatically, and without power, the vessel could not surface. She rapidly grew negatively buoyant. There was also Scorpion and Kursk, which I described in The Savage Deeps. The former had likely suffered a hydrogen explosion in the battery compartment, and the latter a torpedo detonation in a forward compartment, possibly within a torpedo tube.

There are also civilian submarines, and these have to be engineered to the highest possible standards to withstand the ocean environment. The most notable disaster in recent history was Titan, which sank while trying to visit the wreck of Titanic in June of 2023. This submersible was famously built with technology not suited to great depths (a carbon fiber-wound cylinder), and yet the captain insisted on descending deeper than the vessel could withstand.

from NBC

Why explore the undersea environment? I’ve written about it many times. Here’s a good primer, describing the wealth of the undersea world. In this case, the reason was tourism, much like Titan’s purpose.

from the BBC

But now comes word that a Russian tourist submarine has sunk in the Red Sea. Of the forty-five passengers and five crew, six people are dead and four are in critical condition. The Sindbad had large portholes for viewing the exterior. The area is famous for its tourism. Some survivors have told the BBC that water was pouring in the hatches as people were boarding. There are some horrifying reports (from MSN) stating the vessel may have started diving before the hatches were closed. Others have claimed that the vessel may have collided with the coral reef at a depth of twenty metres, although this is still unconfirmed. I’m unsure about how the rescue occurred; facts are still sketchy. Did the survivors swim to the surface? Or, did rescue divers reach them at depth? Among the dead are two married Russian doctors; their two children are among the injured in hospital. If the disaster occurred due to a collision with the reef — and not due to a premature dive — then the survivors are incredibly lucky. (We still don’t know what caused this disaster.) Although the operating depth was relatively shallow, a collision that compromises the hull and creates flooding on board would put the passengers in a sudden survival situation. The survivors are lucky to have escaped such a depth after a collision and sinking of this nature. In this case, twenty metres is about sixty-five feet down. To add to this disaster, it brings to light a major issue in this Egyptian economic sector: there are few regulations governing safety and maintenance. The passengers had also not been required to undergo a safety tutorial before the trip began, as would happen on an air flight or a cruise ship.

The ocean is an incredible place to explore. It is exotic and full of natural life and geologic features for tourists. It is also hostile beyond comprehension. My condolences to all who perished and I wish for a quick recovery for those injured and still in hospital.

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Praise for Timothy S. Johnston’s A Blanket of Steel

“Fans of Clive Cussler’s NUMA Files will be delighted with Timothy S. Johnston’s undersea novels. Truman McClusky and Dirk Pitt are cut from the same adventurer’s cloth.” — Nick Cutter, author of The Deep and The Troop

“Action that ranges from close range combat to torpedo-fueled attacks. The result is a thriller that keeps moving from confrontation to confrontation … with constant danger and the vast depths of the ocean as a setting, there is always reason to keep reading.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Read the book and prepare to be blown away by one of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Timothy S. Johnston is simply amazing.” — FIVE Stars from Readers’ Favorite

“A Blanket of Steel is not simply a ‘daring do’ thriller … It’s prescient.” — Amazing Stories

“A priority selection. An action-packed story that is hard to put down. A Blanket of Steel is outstanding.” — D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Innovative technology, Mac taking risks no one else would dare and thinking his way through to brilliant solutions … But the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. This is it. The countdown to the final battle … Johnston does an excellent job of keeping the tension taut as he plays with the reader’s perceptions of characters we thought we knew and trusted …” — SFcrowsnest

“Expect to be left breathless. Trust me here. Please. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.” — Michael Libling, author of The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife and Hollywood North: A Novel in Six Reels

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A BLANKET OF STEEL is out now!

WATCH THE GRIPPING BOOK TRAILER HERE.

FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE

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A Blanket of Steel from Timothy S. Johnston and Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd.

Book Cover & Jacket Copy:

AN UNSTOPPABLE THREAT!

A mysterious assassin has murdered Cliff Sim, Chief Security Officer of the underwater colony, Trieste. Cliff was a mountain of a man, highly trained, and impossible to defeat in combat. And yet …

Someone brutally beat him and left his broken body in a secret Chinese facility at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

And included a calling card for Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste.

Taunting him.

Mac has led the underwater colonies in their fight against the world’s superpowers. Climate change has devastated the surface; nations suffer famine, drought, rebellion, rising waters, and apocalyptic coastal flooding. But now, as Mac leads the underwater colonies to freedom and independence, he’s faced with the gravest threat of his life: a Russian assassin, hellbent on killing Mac and everyone he cares for. Now Mac must uncover the identity of the killer, face him in combat, and at the same time lead people in battle against the largest underwater force ever assembled. It’s Mac’s final test, and to win the war, he must use every tool at his disposal, including the most surprising and devastating underwater weapons ever invented.

If Mac fails, all hope is lost for the future of human colonization on the ocean floors.

But the assassin could be anyone …

Watch your back, Mac.

A Blanket of Steel is the most gripping thriller yet in The Rise of Oceania.

FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE

The other books in The Rise of Oceania series by Timothy S Johnston:

The War Beneath 9781771484718
The Savage Deeps 9781771485067
Fatal Depth 9781554555574
An Island of Light 9781554555819
The Shadow of War 9781554556007

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TSJ’s Awards

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THE WAR BENEATH: FIRST PLACE 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Action / Adventure Category Winner, 2019 Silver Falchion Award Finalist, 2018 CLUE Award Semi-Finalist, 2019 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist, & 2019 CYGNUS Award Shortlister

THE SAVAGE DEEPS: FIRST PLACE 2020 CYGNUS Award Winner, 2019 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards Finalist, 2022 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist; 2019 CLUE Award Shortlister

FATAL DEPTH: FIRST PLACE 2021 GLOBAL THRILLER Award Winner, 2022 Silver Falchion Award Finalist (Best Action Adventure), 2021 CYGNUS Award Semi-Finalist

Praise for THE WAR BENEATH

“If you’re looking for a techno-thriller combining Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy and John Le Carré, The War Beneath will satisfy … a ripping good yarn, a genuine page-turner.” — Amazing Stories
“One very riveting, intelligent read!” — Readers’ Favorite
“If you like novels like The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising,
you will certainly enjoy The War Beneath.” — A Thrill A Week
“If you’re here for thrills, the book will deliver.” — The Cambridge Geek
“… an engaging world that is highly believable …” — The Future Fire
“This is a tense, gripping science fiction/thriller of which Tom Clancy might well be proud . . . When I say it is gripping, that is the simple truth.” — Ardath Mayhar
“… a thrill ride from beginning to end …” — SFcrowsnest
“… if you like Clancy and le Carré with a hint of Forsyth thrown in,
you’ll love The War Beneath.” — Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee (RET),
2017 Nebula Award & 2018 Dragon Award Finalist
“Fast-paced, good old-fashioned Cold War espionage … a great escape!” — The Minerva Reader