Francis Slattery
Encyclopedia
Francis Slattery was a commander
in the U.S. Navy and commanded the nuclear submarine
USS Scorpion
when it mysteriously sank in the Atlantic Ocean
.
Slattery was born in West Minot, Maine
on September 15, 1931. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and served in several submarines, including the USS Tunny
before his final assignment on the Scorpion.
He had spent time at the Nuclear Power School
and, with his experience in other submersibles, he was appointed to command the Scorpion. He then became the youngest commander of a nuclear-powered submarine at the time.
Slattery was in command of the boat during its fateful voyage to the bottom of the ocean in 1968. In the book All Hands Down, authors Kenneth Sewell and Jerome Preisler claim that the Scorpion' s disappearance was the result of an attack by Soviet forces using code materials supplied by turncoat seaman John Walker
and American cryptographic
equipment they seized from the USS Pueblo
. The authors claim the Soviets' motive was revenge for the loss of K-129, a Soviet submarine that sank in the Pacific Ocean
earlier that year - a loss that Russian military officials had blamed on the Americans.
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in the U.S. Navy and commanded the nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
USS Scorpion
USS Scorpion
USS Scorpion may refer to one of six vessels of the United States Navy:, a block sloop in commission from 1812 to 1814 that was part of Joshua Barney's Chesapeake Bay Flotilla in the War of 1812, a schooner in commission from 1813 to 1814 serving on the upper Great Lakes in the War of 1812, a...
when it mysteriously sank in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Slattery was born in West Minot, Maine
Minot, Maine
Minot is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of West Minot and Minot Center...
on September 15, 1931. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and served in several submarines, including the USS Tunny
USS Tunny
Two submarines of the United States Navy have been named USS Tunny, for the tunny, any of several oceanic fishes resembling the mackerel.* The first USS Tunny , a Gato-class submarine, served in World War II, as a Regulus missile boat, and during the Vietnam War.* The second USS Tunny , a...
before his final assignment on the Scorpion.
He had spent time at the Nuclear Power School
Nuclear Power School
Nuclear Power School is a technical school operated by the U.S. Navy in Goose Creek, South Carolina to train enlisted sailors, officers, KAPL civilians and Bettis civilians for shipboard nuclear power plant operation and maintenance of surface ships and submarines in the U.S...
and, with his experience in other submersibles, he was appointed to command the Scorpion. He then became the youngest commander of a nuclear-powered submarine at the time.
Disappearance of the Scorpion
- Main article: USS Scorpion (SSN-589)USS Scorpion (SSN-589)USS Scorpion was a Skipjack-class nuclear submarine of the United States Navy, and the sixth ship of the U.S. Navy to carry that name. Scorpion was declared lost on 5 June 1968 with 99 crew members dying in the incident. The USS Scorpion is one of two nuclear submarines the U.S...
Slattery was in command of the boat during its fateful voyage to the bottom of the ocean in 1968. In the book All Hands Down, authors Kenneth Sewell and Jerome Preisler claim that the Scorpion
John Walker
-Politicians:* John Walker , U.S. Senator, public official, and soldier* John Walker , State Treasurer of Missouri...
and American cryptographic
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
equipment they seized from the USS Pueblo
USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
USS Pueblo is an American ELINT and SIGINT Banner-class technical research ship which was boarded and captured by North Korean forces on January 23, 1968, in what is known as the Pueblo incident or alternatively as the Pueblo crisis or the Pueblo affair. Occurring less than a week after President...
. The authors claim the Soviets' motive was revenge for the loss of K-129, a Soviet submarine that sank in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
earlier that year - a loss that Russian military officials had blamed on the Americans.