A discussion forum for history enthusiasts everywhere
 
HomeHome  Recent ActivityRecent Activity  Latest imagesLatest images  RegisterRegister  Log inLog in  SearchSearch  

Share | 
 

 Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world

View previous topic View next topic Go down 
AuthorMessage
Triceratops
Censura
Triceratops

Posts : 4377
Join date : 2012-01-05

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty
PostSubject: Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world   Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world EmptyWed 26 Sep 2012, 13:15

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world 0472849b4829120a44788d5c4e5e7d72

10 years ago, the part played by Captain Vasili Arkhipov in preventing World War Three was unknown to the general public, until, on the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, his role made known.

Vasili Arkhipov joined the Soviet Navy as a young man, near the end of the Second World War, and saw service on board a minesweeper in the Far East against Japan. Later transferring to submarines, Arkhipov was executive officer aboard Submarine K-19, when there was a serious radiation leak on the 4th July 1961 [ the incident has been filmed as K-19, The Widowmaker]

The following year, Arkhipov, was commander of a group of 4 diesel electric "Foxtrot" class submarines sent from Murmansk as part of a planned deployment to Mariel Bay, Cuba. Arkhipov travelled aboard Submarine B-59, Captain Savitsky. When the United States began it's quarantine of Cuba, the 4 Foxtrots were ordered to hold position in the Sargasso Sea.

On the 27th October 1962, B-59 was detected by a US Navy anti-submarine group and subjected to continual sonar pingings and bombardment by practice depth charges. The American intention was to force the Soviets to the surface and had informed Moscow of the proposed method, unfortunately B-59 had been out of contact for a week and had no way of knowing if a shooting war had started for real.
After 5 hours of being chased, Captain Savinsky ordered the deployment of B-59's "special weapon". Known only to the Captain, Political Officer and Weapons Officer aboard, each of the 4 Foxtrots was armed with a nuclear warhead torpedo. Savinsky now proposed using this against the surrounding US forces. Political Officer Maslennikov, concurred and both men matched up their respective halves of the fire control key and prepared to fire. It was now that Arkhipov intervened, as commander of the squadron [ though technically second in command of B-59 itself], any firing decision required his approval and this approval he now flatly refused.
Savinsky and Maslennikov deferred to this decision and the "special weapon" was made safe. Any use of nuclear weapons at this period would have almost certainly resulted in escalation.

B-59 surfaced and retired from the scene, the other 3 boats having already gone.

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world 310px-Soviet_b-59_submarine

B-59 photographed on the surface on either the 28th or 29th October 1962.

At the 40th anniversary of the Crisis, Robert MacNamarra declared that the actions of Arkhipov had prevented a nuclear war.


Last edited by Triceratops on Wed 16 May 2018, 10:17; edited 1 time in total
Back to top Go down
alantomes
Aediles
alantomes

Posts : 42
Join date : 2012-06-19
Location : East Anglia

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty
PostSubject: Re: Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world   Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world EmptyWed 26 Sep 2012, 21:48

I saw that on TV last night too. It was an event that I wasn't aware of. I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis well. As I recall I couldn't puzzle out what would be left if WWIII had started. I was working abroad at the time and couldn't make up my mind whether to return to England or stay where I was.

I was nearer to the Soviet countries than England, but England would have been targete with nuclear weapons.
Back to top Go down
Islanddawn
Censura
Islanddawn

Posts : 2163
Join date : 2012-01-05
Location : Greece

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty
PostSubject: Re: Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world   Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world EmptyThu 27 Sep 2012, 03:29

Thanks for that Trike, I'd not heard of this nor of the very sensible Capt. Arkhipov.

And so refreshing to be informed that it was not an American who saved the world also (yet again).
Back to top Go down
Triceratops
Censura
Triceratops

Posts : 4377
Join date : 2012-01-05

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty
PostSubject: Re: Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world   Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world EmptyFri 28 Sep 2012, 13:02

Until the programme on Tuesday night that Alan mentions, I had never heard of him either ID.

Another Soviet officer who kept a cool head was Stanislav Petrov, though Petrov didn't actually have his finger on the trigger, his correct assessment of the situation made sure no one else gave the order to fire;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov
Back to top Go down
Vizzer
Censura
Vizzer

Posts : 1783
Join date : 2012-05-12

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty
PostSubject: Re: Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world   Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world EmptyTue 15 May 2018, 22:31

Triceratops wrote:
Another Soviet officer who kept a cool head was Stanislav Petrov, though Petrov didn't actually have his finger on the trigger, his correct assessment of the situation made sure no one else gave the order to fire

In 1983 there were 2 scares. The first scare in September was diffused by Petrov. The second scare in November was diffused by Leonard Perroots, a USAF lieutenant general who, during NATO’s Able Archer exercise, chose to ignore serious intelligence reports suggesting that the coinciding Warsaw Pact exercise Operation Ryan was in fact a real pre-emptive strike:

https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb533-The-Able-Archer-War-Scare-Declassified-PFIAB-Report-Released/

Since the declassification of the relevant documents in 2013 there have been a couple of books written on those events of 1983. The first book (published in 2016) was Able Archer 83: The Secret History of the NATO Exercise That Almost Triggered Nuclear War by Nate Jones:

https://theconversation.com/how-the-world-reached-the-brink-of-nuclear-war-not-once-but-twice-in-1983-68998

The second book (published this year) is 1983: The World at the Brink by Taylor Downing:

http://taylordowning.com/1983

Both Perroots and Petrov died last year. Their stories, however, deservedly live on.
Back to top Go down
Triceratops
Censura
Triceratops

Posts : 4377
Join date : 2012-01-05

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty
PostSubject: Re: Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world   Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world EmptyWed 16 May 2018, 10:19

Thanks for those links, Vizzer.

The Perroots story is new to me.
Back to top Go down
Sponsored content




Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty
PostSubject: Re: Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world   Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world Empty

Back to top Go down
 

Vasili Arkhipov-the man who saved the world

View previous topic View next topic Back to top 
Page 1 of 1

 Similar topics

-
» Old World - New World, the "cultural" exchange
» The Irishman Who Saved Hitler's Life
» Bagpipes of the World
» First French circumnavigation of the world.
» Footage of world war one

Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum
Res Historica History Forum :: The history of people ... :: Individuals-