The refusal of an executive officer to agree in launching nuclear weapons due to a fragment order is based on a similar incident within the Soviet Navy. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet submarine B-59 attempted to infiltrate the US Navy blockade by running submerged. By doing so they had been out of contact for several days with Moscow at the depth they ran at. When US destroyers dropped signal depth charges to force the sub to surface, the Soviet captain, Valentin Grigorievitch Savitsky, believed war had broken out between the US and the Soviet Union. His sentiments were concurred by the on board political officer, Ivan Semonovich Maslennikov. However, Savitsky's second-in-command, Vasily Arkipov, who also was the flotilla commodore, refused. All three needed to agree before launching. Being out of contact for so long and with no clear orders, Arkipov convinced Captain Savitsky to surface and they found themselves surrounded by US destroyers. There communication was reestablished with Moscow and they received orders to return home, thereby preventing nuclear war.

Film

Nessun dato in archivio