B-39 SOVIET ATTACK SUBMARINE

B-39 SOVIET ATTACK SUBMARINE

MARITIME MUSEUM

SAN DIEGO, CA

I was amazed when we boarded the B-39 Soviet era "Foxtrot" class (Nato designation) or "Project 641" (Soviet Navy designation) diesel-electric powered attack submarine.  She was constructed at the Sudomekh shipyards near Leningrad and commissioned in 1974.  At the time, this was one of the largest diesel-electric submarines ever built.  She was one of a fleet of Soviet attack subs that shadowed U.S. Navy ships throughout the world's oceans during the Cold War.  As you slowly make your way through the small hatchways that enter each compartment it is hard to believe that men lived in these cramped quarters for months at a time.  Sleeping, bathing and eating quarters were minimal at best.  This was really a cool experience.

B-39 SOVIET ATTACK SUBMARINE