The Thresher Disaster, by J Bentley

The Thresher Disaster, The most tragic dive in submarine history
John Bentley

On 9 April 1963, USS Thresher, the US Navy’s newest, fastest, deepest-diving submarine lay at berth in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New Hampshire. After  9-month overhaul Thresher was to be put through her paces for the next 48 hours and be back at her berth  with most of the 1,000 items on her sea trial agenda ticked off. At 9am the following morning the tests were in full swing. At 0913 thresher slipped past the test depth towards terrible danger. At 0917 the pressure hull gave way. Instantly a 1500 ton torrent of water poured into the crippled submarine causing an immediate rise in atmospheric pressure resulting in an enormous implosion. As Thresher plummeted to the sea bed she exploded and scattered debris over at least 140,000 sq yards. This book records the life span of Thresher and also includes the testimony of the ‘luckiest man alive’ who was ordered off the ship to attend to his wife who had just had an accident 24 hours before

Hardback with dust jacket in very good condition. Front endpaper stamped with bookseller’s stamp. Small marks and inscribed on inside front cover in pencil.

372 pages
Central section of black and white photographs
146 mm x216 mm (5.75 in x 8.5 in)
1975, New English Library, London