"Swedish Komsomolets": What Happened to the S-363 Submarine Near the Karlskrona Naval Base

The incident with the Soviet Project 613 submarine brought the Cold War to a new level

October 27, 1981 The S-363 submarine of the Baltic Fleet, Project 613, while traveling on the surface, ran aground in a restricted area of Swedish territorial waters near the Karlskrona naval base. The incident was the result of a combination of faulty outdated navigation equipment and errors in the ship's control.

S-363 aground near the Karlskrona naval base
Image source «Военфлот»

The incident caused an international scandal, as the Soviet submarine was near one of the main Swedish naval bases during the Cold War. The commander of the submarine, Captain Second Rank Anatoly Gushchin, claimed that a navigational error had occurred. However, the Swedish side suspected that the submarine was on a reconnaissance mission.

towing the submarine S-363 — towing the submarine S-363
Image source «Военфлот»

After several days of negotiations and thorough checks, including measurements of the radiation background (as the Swedes suspected the presence of nuclear weapons on board), the submarine was released and towed to neutral waters.

locals inspect the submarine S-363 — locals inspect the submarine S-363
Image source «Военфлот»

The cause of the incident was the irresponsible attitude of the commander of the navigation combat unit to his professional duties. During the investigation, it turned out that the sextants were incorrectly configured, and the navigator did not know how to use them. In addition, he did not have the skills to work with the PIRS radio navigation device. The frame of the radio direction finder antenna was damaged due to snagging on a fishing net, which also exacerbated the situation. For unknown reasons, there was no communication on the submarine.

Separately, one can consider the actions of the officer on watch, who was also obliged to determine the location. Apparently, all this was done poorly or not done at all. And why, if you are in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

The incident was nicknamed "Whiskey on the Rocks" in the press — a pun on the name of Project 613 ("Whiskey class" according to NATO classification) and the expression "whiskey on the rocks." In the USSR, the submarine received the unofficial nickname "Swedish Komsomolets."

This case became one of the most famous episodes of the Cold War in Northern Europe and seriously affected relations between the USSR and Sweden.

S-363 is a Soviet medium torpedo diesel-electric submarine of Project 613.

Technical characteristics of the Project 613 submarine:

Speed: surface — 18 knots, underwater — 13 knots.
Working immersion depth: 170 m, maximum — 200 m.
Navigation autonomy: 12,000–15,000 miles.
Crew: 52–54 people.
Displacement: surface — 1030 tons, underwater — 1350 tons.
Length: maximum (along KVL) — 76 m.
Hull width: max. — 6.7 m.
Height: 11 m.
Power plant: diesel-electric, 2 37D diesels of 2000 hp each, 2 PG-101 main electric motors of 1350 hp each, 2 PG-103 economic speed electric motors of 50 hp each, 2 46SU batteries of 112 elements each, 2 propeller shafts.
Armament: paired 57 mm SM-24 ZiF anti-aircraft gun, 4 bow and 2 stern 533 mm TA (ammunition load of 12 torpedoes).

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