12 Most Incredible Abandoned Submarines In The World

Lightning Top

22 Jan 202416:29

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe video explores abandoned, decommissioned, and forgotten submarines and submarine bases around the world. It discusses the history and current state of various submarines, including a WWII Japanese sub and WWI German U-boat stranded on land, as well as unusual subs like a homemade narco-sub used to smuggle drugs. Other topics include problems nuclear subs cause when decommissioned, graffiti art on an abandoned Soviet base, the recent discovery of a British WWII sub lost since 1942, and even a yellow submarine stuck in a New York creek.

Takeaways

😲 Abandoned submarines are rare, but some exist due to being left behind in battles or wrecks over time.
😮 The Japanese occupied Kiska Island in Alaska for a year during WW2, leaving behind a submarine when they retreated.
🤯 The Soviets built a top secret submarine base in Crimea that was thought to be indestructible, even to nuclear weapons.
📉 The first functional submarine caused decompression sickness, making it hard to operate.
⛔ Germany's UB-122 submarine got stuck in mud flats in the UK after WW1 and is still there.
😕 The USS Ling submarine had a disappointing career and is now decaying, wedged in a New Jersey river.
🔥 A Russian nuclear attack submarine caught fire during repairs but returned to duty after 3 years of work.
🚢 Drug traffickers have built homemade submarines to smuggle tons of narcotics, worth millions of dollars.
❌ The UK is struggling to dismantle retired nuclear submarines on time and faces a storage crisis.
🎨 An abandoned Soviet submarine base in Estonia is now an unusual graffiti art destination.

Q & A

Why are abandoned submarines so rare?
-Submarines are very expensive, sophisticated pieces of equipment that are expected to remain in service for many years. When they become obsolete, they are usually scrapped in controlled circumstances rather than being abandoned.
What evidence did the Japanese leave behind when they occupied Kiska Island in WWII?
-When the Japanese were driven off Kiska Island in 1943, they left behind a submarine in their hurry to escape. This allowed the Allies their first detailed look at Japanese submarine technology.
Where is the formerly top secret Soviet submarine base located?
-The top secret Soviet submarine base is located in the Crimean peninsula of Balaklava. Its existence was highly classified for decades until it opened as a museum in 2003.
Why did Julius H. Croll's primitive submarine get abandoned?
-Croll's submarine was abandoned on a beach in Panama's Pearl Islands in 1869 due to a lack of pearls in the area, and because the submarine caused decompression sickness in its crews.
Why was the German UB-122 submarine unable to be freed from mudflats?
-The UB-122 was being towed to a British military base after WWI when its tow rope snapped. It became stuck in notoriously thick mudflats, and proved impossible to free.
What happened to the nuclear submarine K-84 Erenberg?
-The K-84 caught fire while in dry dock in 2011. After repairs, it returned to service in 2014 before being prepared for decommissioning in 2020.
How are drug cartels using homemade submarines?
-Cartels have built their own primitive submarines, capable of holding several tons of narcotics, to stealthily transport drugs from Colombia to Mexico.
Why is dismantling nuclear submarines difficult?
-Nuclear subs require highly controlled dismantling due to radioactivity risks. The UK site meant for this purpose has reached full capacity and is behind schedule on taking submarines apart.
What is the current state of the former Soviet submarine base in Estonia?
-The abandoned Hara submarine base has been gutted and become dilapidated since Estonia's independence. It's now an unusual graffiti canvas open for visitors.
How was the long-lost HMS Urge submarine finally discovered?
-The HMS Urge was lost in WWII in 1942. In 2019, archaeologists from Malta found the intact wreck 400 feet deep off Malta using advanced scanning equipment.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Abandoned Japanese submarine in Alaska from WWII

During WWII, the Japanese occupied Kiska Island in Alaska for a year before abandoning their equipment in a hurry when retreating in 1943. This included leaving behind a submarine, allowing the Allies their first detailed look at Japanese submarine technology, which was fast, agile and hard to detect.

05:00

🤿 Top secret Soviet submarine base in Crimea now a museum

A formerly top secret Soviet submarine base in the Crimean peninsula was built in 1957 to serve the Black Sea Fleet. Its existence remained classified for decades before it was opened as a museum in 2003. It was made to withstand nuclear attacks and chosen for its concealed location.

10:02

🛳 America's first working submarine used for pearling

The first working submarine was created by Julius H. Croll in 1866 using the name 'submarine Explorer'. It was sold to harvest pearls from Panama but caused decompression sickness. It was abandoned on a beach in 1869 after lack of pearls and illness prevented operation.

15:04

🥽 Wrecked German U-boat stranded in UK river after WWI

The wrecked German UB-122 submarine in a UK river was handed over after WWI to prevent further threat. But it snapped its tow line and got stuck in mudflats, preserved by mud since 1919 despite decay. Attempts to salvage it found the wreck too fragile.

⚓️ Ill-fated USS Ling languishes after serving as museum

The aging nuclear submarine USS Ling has mostly known disappointments - built late for WWII then only briefly a training ship until left languishing at a New Jersey museum since 1972. Hurricane Sandy further damaged it and left it semi-abandoned, stuck in the riverbed.

😵‍💫 Russian nuclear submarine endures remarkable existence after near sinking

Russian submarine K-84 has had a varied life, serving Soviet and Russian navies since 1985. In 2011, it caught fire during repairs and was partially sunk to extinguish it. It survived to return to service in 2014 and is now awaiting full decommissioning, with its nuclear weapons removed in 2020.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. Submarines are very expensive and sophisticated pieces of military equipment designed to remain in service for many years. When they become obsolete, submarines are usually scrapped in controlled circumstances. Abandoned submarines are very rare.

💡base

A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by a military organization to shelter military equipment and personnel. The video shows several abandoned submarine bases that were once top secret but have now been decommissioned and opened to the public, like the submarine base in Balaklava, Crimea.

💡decommission

To decommission means to take a ship, submarine or military base out of active service. The process of decommissioning nuclear submarines is very complex and risky. For example, the Devonport naval base in Plymouth, UK warned the government that it has reached full capacity for storing decommissioned nuclear submarines.

💡narco-submarine

A narco-submarine is a custom-built vessel used by drug traffickers to smuggle narcotics across borders underwater. Authorities in South America have intercepted home-made semi-submersible boats carrying up to 8 tons of narcotics, worth millions of dollars.

💡soviet

The Soviet Union was a former communist state that collapsed in 1991. Several abandoned submarines and bases featured in the video were built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, like the top secret submarine base in Balaklava, Crimea.

💡wreck

The wreck refers to the remains of a destroyed or abandoned submarine. Many submarines were lost in action during wartime. Advanced technology has recently enabled the discovery of long lost submarine wrecks on the seafloor, like the wreck of HMS Urge that was found off Malta's coast 77 years after it sank.

💡museum

Decommissioned submarines sometimes end up in naval museums open to the public. But museums may struggle with deteriorating exhibits like the USS Ling submarine, which became a floating museum but was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

💡graffiti

Graffiti refers to artwork illegally spray-painted onto public or private property. The video shows the Hara submarine base in Estonia that was abandoned in 1991 and is now covered in colorful graffiti, despite being open to visitors.

💡obsolete

When military equipment becomes outdated or no longer usable compared to modern technology standards, it is considered obsolete. Submarines are extremely expensive to build so they are designed to remain in naval service for decades. Eventually though, old submarines are decommissioned once obsolete.

💡pearl

Pearls and oysters were the intended cargo of an primitive submarine called the Explorer, built in 1866. But operating the submarine caused decompression sickness. And after failing to find enough pearls, the Explorer was abandoned in Panama in 1869.

Highlights

The Japanese left a submarine behind on Kiska Island when they retreated in 1943, allowing the Allies their first detailed look at Japanese submarine technology

The secret Soviet submarine base in the Crimean peninsula of Balaklava was built to withstand nuclear attacks and remained hidden from the public for decades

The first functional submarine in 1866 was called the Submarine Explorer and was used unsuccessfully to harvest pearls, leading to its abandonment

A German U-boat that got stuck in the mud flats of the River Medway in 1918 is still visible there today at low tide

The USS Ling submarine had an unlucky history, ending up as an abandoned museum exhibit wedged in mud after Hurricane Sandy

The Russian nuclear submarine K-84 caught fire during repairs in 2011 and had to be partially sunk to extinguish the flames

Authorities in South America have found homemade semi-submersible boats they believe were used by drug traffickers

The UK's Devonport naval base warned it has reached full capacity for storing decommissioned nuclear submarines

The abandoned Soviet-era submarine base in Estonia has become a hub for graffiti artists

In 1967 a salvage submarine called Quester 1 was unsuccessfully launched to retrieve valuables from a sunken ship, and remains stuck off New York

Target practice wrecks of British X-Class subs from WWII still decay on a beach in Scotland

The wreck of the British submarine HMS Urge lost in WWII was found off Malta in 2019, 77 years after its sinking

Early British X-Class attack subs were only 52 ft long but powered by engines from London buses

The USS Ling and other obsolete subs highlight issues around safely dismantling nuclear submarines

Finding abandoned wrecks sheds light on submarine and naval history from WWII to the Cold War era

Transcripts

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