Date of Incident: 26 September, 1957
Returned to Service: No
The Quebec-class submarine M-256 sank on 26 September 1957, after an explosion and fire.
Quebec-class submarines were fitted with two diesel engines and a third, closed-cycle diesel engine, which used liquid oxygen (along with recycled exhaust gases) to run the engine while the submarine was submerged. This arragement gave Quebec-class submarines very good submerged speed and range. Unfortunately, the liquid oxygen system caused frequent fires, causing the Quebec-class ships to be known as "cigarette lighters" by some of their crews. Eventually, this system was removed from the submarines and replaced with a third, conventional diesel engine.
It was this very liquid oxygen system that would lead to the loss of M-256.
Following the initial explosion, the submarine was brought to the surface and the crew was evacuated to the deck. Despite the firefighting efforts of the crew, the fire spread to the adjacent compartment. Nearby vessels were unable to reach the submarine to render aid because of the very poor weather conditions. Four hours after the start of the emergency, the submarine suddenly lost stability and sank. Only seven of the 35 men on deck survived.
(Russian language submarine site http://submarine.id.ru; page http://submarine.id.ru/memory/M256.htm; Gray pg. 230; Polmar and Root pp 150-151 )
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