The history of American submarines has spanned 100 years, two world wars, four regional conflicts, and countless days of "peacetime" patrols. The U.S. Navy has commissioned nearly 800 submarines since 1900. Some of these submarines logged more than 2,000 patrols during their careers. During this time, submarines have been involved in serious accidents only 28 times, a remarkable safety record that continues to be the envy of other nations.
Losses occurred due to the following causes:
| Foundering | 9 |
| Collisions | 6 |
| Explosions / Fires | 6 |
| Groundings | 4 |
| Flooding | 2 |
| Diving Accident | 1 |
These 28 incidents involved approximately 1,700 officers and crew. Of this total, only 540 men lost their lives. This represents nearly a 70% survival rate. Given the overall seriousness of the individual accidents, and the circumstances under which the accidents occurred, this high survival rate is remarkable. Furthermore, the survival rate would be nearly 100%, if the rate were calculated separately from the six incidents where submarines were lost with all hands.
Throughout its long history, the U.S. Submarine Force has consistantly strived to improve. Improvements have come primarily with time and improving technology, with the greatest number of serious accidents occurring in the early years of submarine operations. Advancemnts have also occurred as submariners learned from previous mistakes. The McCann Diving Bell, "Momsen Lung", and telephone buoys are examples of this. The "Subsafe" program is a more recent example and shows that the American submariner's willingness to learn from loss has not diminished with time.
Return to U.S. Peacetime Submarine Accidents
This page last updated 6 September, 1998.