Argentina unsure if signals came from lost submarine

cbs ^

[BenLurkin]

Argentina's Navy could not confirm Sunday if seven brief satellite calls received a day prior were from a lost submarine with 44 crew members onboard.

... Navy has intensified its aerial search off the country's southern Atlantic coast after adverse weather conditions spurred waves up to 26 feet and made a maritime search difficult.

... Enrique Balbi said the low-frequency satellite signals received Saturday lasted a "few seconds," but had not connected with a base, partly due to inclement weather. The communication attempts were originally thought to indicate that the crew was trying to re-establish contact.

On Sunday, search units were largely relying on information gathered from a British polar exploration vessel, the HMS Protector, which was equipped with an underwater search probe and was following the path taken by the submarine, the ARA San Juan.

...U.S. Navy's Undersea Rescue Command had been deployed to the search area, along with aircraft from Argentina, Brazil and the U.S. and 11 surface vessels.

Among the 44 crew members is Eliana Krawczyk, the first female submarine officer in Argentina.

[dfwgator]

Seems she ran aground on maneuvers.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Why does every little country feel they need submarines?

[DIRTYSECRET]

That was my question. Not that there’s top flight maintenance.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Oh I get it! Falklands redux.

[virgil]

I hope they find it.

[Simon Green]

Why does every little country feel they need submarines?

It's a relatively cheap way to fight out of their weight.

[ETL]

Brings to my mind this eerie episode of the Twilight Zone...

“In 1963, a U.S. Navy destroyer is on a routine patrol off Guadalcanal when sonar picks up a sound beneath the waves; the crew say that it sounds like something banging on metal.

They discover a submarine on the ocean floor, but inquiries to naval command reveal no recent sinkings in the area. A joking suggestion from some of the crew that the sub may be haunted sends an anxious and bewildered Chief Bell, who has been feeling unwell for a couple of days, into a frenzy of bizarre behavior, including fainting spells. The commander, Captain Beecham, orders the ship’s diver, McClure, to investigate. They find out that it is an American submarine, and the metal sound is coming from inside.

When McClure bangs on the submarine hull, the metal banging restarts in seeming response. Chief Bell begins to see apparitions of dead sailors beckoning him. The ship’s doctor unsuccessfully tries to convince Bell that he is just having nightmares, and reports to the captain that Bell is experiencing effects of psychological trauma usually caused by wartime experiences. He finds a pile of seaweed in the spot where Bell saw the apparitions.

McClure later discovers the number of the submarine, “714”, which Beecham identifies as belonging to a submarine that was sunk during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, almost 21 years previously. Although stunned at the idea that someone inside the submarine could still be alive, Beecham asks naval command for a submarine rescue operation. Upon returning to the ship, the diver gives Beecham a dog tag he recovered from the ship, which belonged to Chief Bell.

When Beecham shows the dog tag to Bell, he recollects that he was indeed on that same submarine 21 years before during the battle, when it was surrounded by enemy Japanese ships. Bell was a signalman, and dropped a signal light while attempting to change the infrared filter during the night, causing the filter to fall off. As a result, Japanese ships were able to see the submarine and attack it. Bell fell off the submarine amidst the shelling. The captain took the submarine underwater, but it sank due to the Japanese attack.

Bell was later rescued by an American destroyer that came into the area. Bell tells Beecham that he now understands that the dead submarine crew know he is above them right now and are demanding that he join them in death. Bell is overcome by survivor guilt. Despite Beecham’s efforts to explain to Bell that he was not guilty of cowardice or responsible for the sinking of a submarine already surrounded by enemy ships, Bell races to the deck and jumps overboard. The ship’s crew are unable to save Bell or recover his body.

Later, McClure accompanies the rescue mission into the drowned submarine. Upon returning to the ship, he reports to Beecham that he had found the periscope shears cut in half, with one swinging back and forth. When Beecham asks him to confirm that this was the clanging noise they had heard, McClure agrees, but adds that he had also seen the remains of eight dead sailors, one of whom was holding a hammer in his hand.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thirty-Fathom_Grave#Plot

[SecAmndmt]

Sovereign country. Their choice.

[Gen.Blather]

“Why does every little country feel they need submarines?”

Interesting question. Submarines are probably the most bang for the buck when considering the potential economic impact they could make and their survivability. The battery diesel powered subs are quiet and stealthy. They can do things and go places where a surface ship can’t.

Another question is why do so many small countries have very expensive jet fighters when what they actually need are much less capable planes and, typically, a lot more of them to patrol their borders and search for insurgents?

[Jet Jaguar]

Sounds like an interesting episode.

[SgtHooper]

Ran out of baking soda!?

[gaijin]

Eliana

[ETL]

The episode was titled Thirty-Five Phantoms

The only adequate upload I could find is this audio-only one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AZwt9AVAB8

[alternatives?]

“Another question is why do so many small countries have very expensive jet fighters when what they actually need are much less capable planes and, typically, a lot more of them to patrol their borders....?”

Are you talking about the US?

[ETL]

...it’s actually pretty damn good in audio-only. It’s like the old days listening to shows on the radio. This one would be made to order for that.

[wally_bert]

It’s very good.

[Jet Jaguar]

Thanks.

[PAR35]

Why does every little country feel they need submarines?

Unlike the US, most countries want to safeguard their borders. And as they discovered a few years ago, a submarine can be better than a light cruiser. At least the submarine made it back to port.

[nickedknack]

Diesel-electric boat that has been missing for a week...not good. If it hasn’t surfaced or snorkeled in that time, unlikely nobody alive. Dead batteries, CO2 buildup, no O2. Hopefully they were running on the surface with an engineering casualty (propulsion, electrical power), though even that’s not good, particularly in rough seas.