The Sinking of the Kursk

1. The Sinking of the Kursk An Investigation into the Role played by Hydrogen Peroxide PART 1:Setting The Scene

2. On Saturday, 12th August 2000 one of the world's largest, most advanced and secret submarines, the Kursk, sank to the bottom of the sea. At the time of the accident, the Kursk was on a naval exercise carrying a crew of 118. The Kursk was the pride of the Russian Navy.

3. Longer than two jumbo jets and capable of carrying up to 30 torpedoes fitted with nuclear warheads, the submarine could stay under water for up to six months. The Kursk was built with two titanium hulls, one inside the other, divided into a series of nine watertight compartments. It was thought to be unsinkable.

4. Day 1 - Saturday 12th August 2000 • Contact with Kursk submarine is lost during naval exercises in the Barent Sea • Seismic signals are detected in Norway & by nearby US ships

5. Day 2 - Sunday 13th August 2000 • The Kursk is found on the seabed at a depth of 108m by Russian sonic depth finders • The Russians also claim to have detected 2nd Sub on sea bottom that eventually moved slowly away

6. Day 3 - Monday 14th August 2000 • The BBC carries first News story saying Kursk had ‘broken down’ • Knocking is claimed to have been heard on the Submarines hull

7. Day 4 - Tuesday 15th August 2000 • Rescue attempts are started • Russians lower small Submersible, but strong currents stop it from sticking on to the Kursk • UK & USA offer help

8. Day 5 - Wednesday 16th August 2000 • New Rescue attempts fail because of poor visibility underwater • Russians report that there are no signs of life • Russia asks UK & Norway for help

9. Day 6 - Thursday 17th August 2000 • Russians report extensive damage to front of Kursk • Most of crew now believed to have died instantly • Divers & Rescue equipment leave Norway

10. Day 7 - Friday 18th August 2000 • Russian rescue craft latches on to Kursk but say that the hatch is too damaged for secure docking • Norwegians report having detected 2 ‘explosions’ at time of sinking

11. Day 8 - Saturday 19th August 2000 • British and Norwegian Rescue Team arrives

12. Day 9 - Sunday 20th August 2000 • First Norwegian divers reach the submarine • They report that rear escape hatch is not too badly damaged • Should be possible to open

13. Day 10 - Monday 21st August 2000 • Norwegian divers open outer hatch • The airlock is found to be flooded • Airlock’s inner hatch is opened. The cabin inside is flooded • Rescuers conclude that the crew are all dead

14. Day 11 - Tuesday 22st August 2000 • The Russian Navy announce officially that all 118 crew are dead • Russia goes into mourning

15. Day 13 - Thursday 24th August 2000 • A mother of one of the dead sailors screams abuse at the Deputy Prime Minister • ‘Officials’ are seen to inject her with a drug that puts her to sleep • Pictures of this event are sent round the world

16. Raising The Kursk • Dutch Salvage teams work hard to raise the Kursk

17. 8th October 2001 • Strapped underneath a giant barge, the Kursk begins its final voyage back to Russia

18. 11th September 2001 • Official report blames leak of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE torpedo fuel for initial explosion • This triggered a second, much larger, explosion that sank the Kursk

19. Aims for this Topic • To investigate the evidence for the sinking of the Kursk • To learn more about the ways in which HYDROGEN PEROXIDE reacts • To investigate the role of Catalysts in the reaction of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE