Ed Offley presents a very strong circumstantial case for the Russians sinking of the Scorpion. He filled a lot of gaps in attempting to prove there was a search 4 days before May 27th. Given SOSUS had all of the capabilities it had in 1968, and a huge explosion did occur that could be tracked and triangulated several hundred miles away, would it not be reasonable for the Navy to look into it or at least upon hearing it try to make contact with the Scorpion? I think so.
For argument's sake, let's say the sinking was an accident and the Russians had nothing to do with it. What could be gained by covering up the search and rescue efforts? Absolutely nothing. But I do not believe for one second with SOSUS at their disposal that the Navy would not have looked into it especially when the direction pointed to where the Scorpion was operating.
Can anyone disprove the Compass Island research ship had the advanced sonar capabilities to find the Scorpion as quickly as Mr. Offley claims. Again, I think not. After reading about what the Compass Island was capable of, it seems very logical the Navy would use it to the fullest to try to find the Scorpion wreckage. Testimony of 3 sailors who worked aboard the Compass Island stated it was involved in the search late on May 24th which contradicts the Navy's claim of it being in port in the US until May 27th.
Another issue that caught my attention was Naval Intelligence going into all of the applicable SOSUS stations and seizing all of their tapes and records shortly after the sinking. Why would this have been necessary if the Scorpion sinking was a completely innocent accident?
I especially appreciated Mr. Offley drawing the connection between the Walker Spy Ring, the Pueblo, and the Scorpion. Again circumstantial - but when so much circumstantial evidence is built up on all sides of the puzzle, pretty soon it's like the Giant being tied down in Gulliver's Travels.
Another thought I have is that if Ed was incorrectly quoting so many sailors and officers who are or were in the US Navy, I would think he would get sued to the hilt and have more than a few court cases pending against him. It is not unreasonable for sailors who were actually at the scenes during the investigation so many years before to come forward and speak of things they saw such as was the case of the 3 who spoke of when the Compass Island left the US to join the search. One of these 3 actually just missed the boat because he had been at a drive in movie when the emergency call came in for he and his crew members to report to the Compass Island. He indicated to the author years later that he "never would have been at a drive in movie on a Monday night (meaning May 27th) when he only had a weekend pass."
In conclusion, I contend that if Scorpion was an accident with no Russian complicity, why are there still several items that remain classified? By declassifying every aspect, it should prove they had nothing to do with the sinking.
This was an excellent book and it could not have given the account in any greater detail given what Mr. Offley had to work with.
It is not unreasonable for sailors who were actually at the scenes during the investigation so many years before to come forward and speak of things they saw.
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Great Book
I purchased this book on Amazon.com a long time back. What a great book and so well written and organized. This is one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend it along with All Hands Down: The True Story of the Soviet Attack on the USS Scorpion. I am sure you will enjoy both books.
Top reviews from other countries
- Brian 5B4Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2020
A well written, detailed examination of the sinking of Scorpion. Many references.
