FOCUS | TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

TROUBLED SUB
A submarine that once prowled the Pacific for the Russian
Navy doesnt appear to be in the long-term plans for
development around the Queen Mary. The sub, nicknamed
Scorpion but commissioned as B-427, has been moored
alongside Long Beachs historic seaside icon since 1998, but
has been closed to the public since 2015.
By PAUL PENZELLA | Southern California News Group

PROJECT 641 (SCORPION)

The Scorpion was one of 62 Foxtrot class submarines built for the Soviet Navy between the late 1950s and early 1970s.
About 15 were built for Soviet allies. They were the largest diesel and electrically powered underwater vessels in the
Soviet fleet. It was commissioned in 1972 and operated 22 years in the Pacific Ocean.

0
8 0
10
Dimensions: 299.5 feet long; 24.6 feet wide 0
9 Power: Diesel, electricity
0
7
Weight: 2,000 to 2,500 tons 0
11 Speed: Surface (16 knots);
diving (15 knots); snorting (9 knots)
0
12

0
5 0
13 0
14
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
4 0
6

0
15 0
16 0
17
0
18 0
19 0
20 0
21 0
22 0
23 0
24 0
25 0
26 0
27 0
28 0
29 0
30

1. Torpedo tub outer hatch 9. Vertical rudder 17. Auxiliary electric motor 25. Main pump
2. Emergency buoy 10. Snorkel 18. Oil tanks 26. Torpedo tube
3. Bunks 1 1. Navigation periscope 19. Main electric motors 27. Water tanks
4. Controller 12. Attack periscope 20. Fuel tanks 28. Ballast tank Kingston valve
5. Diesel engine exhaust pipe 13. Underwater telephone antennae 21. Diesel engines (ballast tank was flooded as a result of a
6. Galley 14. High pressure air storage tank 22. Main battery controller rupture in the hull)
7. Radio and satellite navigation antennae 15. Vertical rudder 23. Compensating tank 29. Feniks sonar (antennae MD-10)
8. Snoop tray radar 16. Propeller 24. Generator for sonar and navigation 30. Clarification sonar

56
Seamen

10
Warrants

12
Officers

44
22 Mines
Torpedoes

OTHER SOVIET DIESEL-ELECTRIC POWERED SUBMARINE CLASSES

Zulu class Whiskey class Romeo class

(Project 611, AB611) (Project 613) (Project 633)
Length: 295 ft. Length: 249 ft. Length: 251 ft. 3 in.
Speed: 18 knots surfaced; 16 knots submerged Speed: 18.5 knots surfaced; 13 knots submerged Speed: 15.2 knots surfaced; 13 knots submerged

70 54 64
Officers and men Officers and men Officers and men
or or
22 12 22 8 28
Torpedoes Torpedoes Mines Torpedoes Mines

Quebec class Tango class Kilo class

(Project 615) (Project 641B) (Project 636, 877)
Length: 183 ft. 9 in Length: 298 ft. 7 in Length: 229 ft. 8 in
Speed: 18 knots surfaced; 16 knots submerged Speed: 13 knots surfaced; 16 knots submerged Speed: 12 knots surfaced; 25 knots submerged

42
Officers and men
52
Officers and men
8
Torpedoes 78 12
Officers Torpedoes
and men
18 24
Torpedoes Mines

Sources: Robert Lisnow, attorney for Newco Pty Ltd., owner of Scorpion; Eric Wertheim, author of The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World; Ed Skowron, president, Newco Pty Ltd.; Scorpion gift-shop booklet; Submarines of the
Russian and Soviet Navies book; SCNG Photo Dept.