Inside the Sub

	Inside the Sub
	In the Russian Navy, sailors were assigned to submarine duty, unlike the US Navy, where sailors volunteered and underwent extensive evaluation to be sure they were able to withstand the demands of living and working for months on end in such a small space with no privacy.

		Russian sailors were trained only for their specific duty assignment, so if they were caught in an emergency situation in another section of the boat, they had no idea what to do. This has probably been a factor in the loss of over a dozen Russian subs.

	"SUBMARINE LIFE IS NOT A SERVICE, BUT A RELIGION." Igor Britanov, Captain of the K-219 From a plaque reportedly hung in the CCP of the Soviet Yankee class ballistic missile submarine scuttled by her CO in October 1986 after a devastating missile explosion and fire in order to save his crew from having to re-board the boat without adequate life support equipment (OBA canisters) as they were ordered to do by Moscow. In doing so, Britanov almost lost his life, but saved the remaining members of his crew. *From the book, "Hostile Waters." page 19.


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