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Photo # NH 97221-KN: Stern of the sunken USS Scorpion, August 1986

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

Wreck of USS Scorpion (SSN-589) --
Views Taken after 1968.

This page features views of USS Scorpion's wreck that have been taken since 1968.

For additional photography of USS Scorpion's remains, see: Wreck of USS Scorpion -- Views taken in 1968.

Note: The photographs presented on these two pages represent all the images of Scorpion's wreck that are held in the Naval Historical Center's photographic collections.

For other pictorial coverage of USS Scorpion, see: USS Scorpion (SSN-589).

If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 97220-KN (Color)

Wreck of USS Scorpion (SSN-589)

"Atlantic Ocean (August 1986)....Depth 10,000 feet, 400 miles southwest of the Azores; view of the bow section of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Scorpion (SSN-589) where it rests on the ocean floor. Note the forward messenger bouy cavity and escape trunk access hatches."
Quoted from the caption released with this photo in 1995. The view was taken by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
This image looks down with the submarine's port side to the left. See Photo # NH 70305 for a view of this area taken before Scorpion's loss, and Photo # USN 1136658 for a view of this area of the wreck taken in October 1968.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 116KB; 740 x 540 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97222-KN (Color)

Wreck of USS Scorpion (SSN-589)

"400 miles Southwest of the Azores: Forward compartment of USS Scorpion where it rests on the ocean floor in more than 10,000 feet of water. ... A portion of a periscope protrudes from the hull; its shadow is visible on the hull."
Quoted from the original photo caption, which is one of five views, dated August 1986, taken by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
This view looks down at the after end of the wreck's bow section with the port side toward the top. It shows massive structural distortion at and forward of the area where the hull separated. Some of this distortion is also visible (very faintly) in Photo #s NH 97220-KN and USN 1136658, which are other views of the wreck's bow section.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 110KB; 740 x 550 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97223-KN (Color)

Wreck of USS Scorpion (SSN-589)

"Atlantic Ocean (August 1986)....Depth 10,000 feet, 400 miles southwest of the Azores; A view of the detached sail of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Scorpion (SSN-589) laying on the ocean floor. The starboard fairwater plane is visible protruding from the sail. Masts are visible extending from the top of the sail (located at the lower portion of the photograph). A large segment of the after section of the sail, including the deck access hatch, is missing. Various articles from the operations compartment are scattered in this vicinity."
Quoted from the caption released with this photo in 1995. The view was taken by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
See Photo # NH 70304 for a view of the sail's port side taken before Scorpion's loss. Photo #s USN 1136656 and NH 97219 are views of the wreck's sail taken in October 1968.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 152KB; 740 x 550 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97224-KN (Color)

Wreck of USS Scorpion (SSN-589)

"400 miles southwest of the Azores: The after messenger bouy cavity from the USS Scorpion resting on the ocean floor in more than 10,000 feet of water. The messenger bouy is used to mark the position of the escape hatch of a distressed submarine. This area was also used to store mooring line, some of which is visible protruding from the hatch."
Quoted from the original photo caption, which is one of five views, dated August 1986, taken by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
This image looks to port. See Photo # NH 70308 for a view of this area taken before Scorpion's loss, and Photo # USN 1136662 for a view of this area of the wreck taken in October 1968.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 87KB; 740 x 540 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97221-KN (Color)

Wreck of USS Scorpion (SSN-589)

"Atlantic Ocean (August 1986)....Depth 10,000 feet, 400 miles southwest of the Azores; stern view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Scorpion (SSN-589) showing the upper portion of the rudder (with draft markings) and the port stern plane. Note that the ... after portion of the engine room section (has been) telescoped into the machinery room. The ribs of the stern planes can be seen due to the deformation of the metal covering them ...".
Quoted from the caption released with this photo in 1995. The view was taken by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 93KB; 740 x 515 pixels

 

For additional photography of USS Scorpion's remains, see: Wreck of USS Scorpion -- Views taken in 1968.

Note: The photographs presented on these two pages represent all the images of Scorpion's wreck that are held in the Naval Historical Center's photographic collections.

For other pictorial coverage of USS Scorpion, see: USS Scorpion (SSN-589).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

Page made 30 January 2000
Coding updated 3 April 2001