Scorpion: A torpedo activated in the tube. Torpedos are fitted with safety devices which shut them down if after firing they turn back and "acquire" the firing sub. The crew were too late, or the submarine too slow in turning the 180 degrees required to activate safety's and the torpedo exploded.

Bill, Stavanger, Norway

I read about Glomar Explorer and Soviet submarine in the simple magazine in late 70s, possibly early 80s, 15 years before saw it on US television in late mid 90's. Amazing. Is it not? Welcome to America.

Warren, Cleveland, US

The sinking of the USS Scorpion was no hot run. If you read the new book "All Hands Down" by Jerome Preisler , it tells the story of how the submarine was trapped by the Soviets. It starts out with one of the Bob Ballard/Scorpion/Titanic dives on Alvin. This is the best book I've read in years.

Justin Tabor, Virginia, USA

The rogue torpedo discussed above is what we referred to in the U.S. Submarine Force as a "hot run".

Essentially an unkown something (unknown at the time) would cause the torpedo to light itself off. In such an emergency, the crew would jetison it. And since it was a homing torpedo...

Tom, Griswold, USA

It's barely newsworthy. Another book with a great deal detail on the scorpion is "Blind Man's Bluff" by Sherri Sontag. It details the acoustic signature found that led the team to a) find the Scorpion, and b) a detailed theory on how a batch of bad torpedo batteries may have caused the mishap.

G B, Mpls, US

The Skipper of the Scorpion could have:

Tried to use the hard turn to port manuever that was supposed to deactivate the runaway torpedo in the tube.

Or, he could ditch the torpedo and hope it did not start tracking the only ship in the water - the Scorpion

Jeff, Houston, USA

I actually worked for Russian intelligence in the early 1990's. We were so strapped for cash we actually got all our information from watching the Discovery channel. Saved a fortune.

Its old news now.

Vlad Ladmir, Kosco, Moscow

Perhaps this article was more of a reminder that "The Final Secret" will be shown on the National Geographic Channel at 9pm on June 8, as opposed to some new revelation of this week.

I might watch it - thanks - and thanks also for the mostly educating Have Your Say comments from US/UK - thanks.

DEC, Manchester, UK

'the most likely cause of its destruction was being hit by a rogue torpedo that it had fired itself'....right...how does that work then? Where they looking in a mirror?

NM, London,

Torpedo accidents on submarines are a fact of life, there is no secret that they happen. The conspiracy maniacs are at it again, with the Thresher and Scorpion. Rather than accept that accidents cost lives, they would much rather promote far more complex conspiracy theories. Grow up.

Christopher H, Canberra, Australia

Dr. Ballard's examination of Scorpion is news that is AT LEAST six years old.

To quote the 2002 book, Lost Subs by Spencer Dunmore, page 149...

"In 1985, oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard and a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute secretly took photographs of the Scorpion wreckage..."

Greg Stitz, Jacksonville, AR, USA

Why has Mention of Threshers hull testing at sea on one of first sea trials out of Portsmouth been neglected., Did the mine field testing on the first of each class SUB help cause the damage to piping system. that was not picked up during drydocking prior to her fatefull SEA TRIAL.???

R.Danis, arundel, usa

I remember seeing photos in National Geographic (I may still have it) back in 63 or 64 showing pieces of Thresher, taken from a bathyscape. It was the only manned craft able to get that deep back then. The destruction was total. even the smallest sections of pipe were totally imploded. Amazing!

Allen, Deerfield Beach, FL,

US subs do not fire torpedos on a whim. They were not on a training mission they were under orders to investigate naval activity after coming out of the Med. For a more detailed account read "All Hands Down". It was Soviet retaliation for a sub they incorrectly thought the US sunk in the Pacific.

Mike, Canton, USA

In all that has been writen about Thresher, why nothing mentioned about the testing of Threshers hull on one of first Sea Trials out of PORTSMOUTH . She was put through a Mine Field at sea, which was required for the first ship of a new class sub.She was the last to be subjected to such testing. ???

Ralph i Danis, arundel, USA

"...that the most likely cause of its destruction was being hit by a rogue torpedo that it had fired itself. "

mmm - the Yanks have to be at the top of killing forces personnel on their side through such incidents and "friendly fire" - do they get trained??

Harry Peel, Northampton, UK

Somebody asked if this was newsworthy. Maybe that person would like the news to contain articles that interes him only? Of course it is newsworthy. 12 people have commented already. History and Discovery channels have had shows on the issue. Unless you think that those channels are trivial?

John Morgan, Old Stratford, United Kingdom

The Glomar Explorer was part of a different covert operation. It was publicly a deep sea mining ship operated by Hughes. In reality, it was used to recover wreckage of a Soviet submarine that had sunk near Hawaii.

John, Phoenix, AZ

Is this really newsworthy...

Paul Griffin, Rocky Face, USA

Glomar Explorer was used in the search for a Soviet sub in the Pacific Ocean! They claimed to be mining magnisum from the sea floor and several countrys wasted millions of dollars to make sure they did not get left behind.

Mike Theisen, Colorado Springs, USA

"Red Star Rogue" by Kenneth Sewell provides strong evidence that K129, the Soviet sub whose wreck the Glomar Explorer was sent to retrieve, launched a nuclear warhead at Pearl Harbor on Thursday, March 7, 1968. Rogue elements in the Soviet political hierarchy caused this, which destroyed the sub.

Bob, High Point, NC, USA

Actually, it was called the Glomar Explorer. When I was a teen in the 70's, my family used to sail, and we passed by the ship every time we left the marina. I've got pictures of it. It was docked right near the hangar that housed the Spruce Goose before it was made into a museum piece.

Dave Barak, Poway, California, USA

Yes, they disclosed this on a History Channel program as well, quite some time ago. If it was a cover-up, it was a rather poor one if I knew about it. Some years ago they tried to make a big deal about the pre-D-Day disaster at Lyme Bay England too.

Mike, Zachary, USA

In 1994 I attended an excellent lecture and book signing event by Commander Ballard presented in Sturgis, Michigan (USA) about his team finding the Titanic. During his lecture he described his formerly classified "top secret" project to find Thresher & Scorpion that led to their finding the Titanic

Steven R Schrier, Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States

It was not a pipe supplying water to the reactor that burst, it was a seawater pipe that supplies water to the cooling tubes in the main condenser that burst. completely different system than anything related to the reactor cooling system!!!

Sean, Unitee States,

No kidding. This has been known for many years now.

Have you also heard the real story about the Global Explorer which was designed to pull up a sunken Soviet submarine?

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

Don't overlook the role that U.S. DSRVs played in tapping Soviet underwater communication cables during the cold war. And you thought that DSRVs were primarily for rescuing trapped submariners from sunken submarines? Nice cover. Think again. (Source: Discovery Channel)

Dave, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Not only revealed but you can find some of the pictures they took of the USS Scorpion as well.

Steve, Rochester, United States

This was revealed on the Discovery channel some years ago.

Phill, The Wirral, England