Training Sub
During a training exercise in April 1943, a piece of the vessel’s forward section began to fill with water, causing her to capsize. It happened when she was on a training assignment. And in a matter of seconds, the submarine was completely overrun, and as a result of the attack, she was forced to drop to a depth of 600 feet. The horrible incident in question only claimed the lives of its crew except five individuals.
Training Sub
Puzzling Disaster
Several members of the R-12’s crew who had been stationed above deck on the conning tower – including skipper Lieutenant Commander E. E. Shelby – were thrown out and into the water when the ship descended below the surface of the seas. The catastrophe claimed the lives of the remaining 42 members of the rescue crew. A complete explanation for what caused the disaster was never offered, and the wreckage was kept buried for more than seven decades after it occurred.
Puzzling Disaster
