On February 14, 1943 the New York Times reported one of the more extraordinary stories of the silent service. The previous Christmas Eve a twenty two year old Pharmacist mate, First Class, had performed life-saving internal surgery on a fellow crewman aboard the Submarine USS Silversides.
The first class of nuclear submarines were a learning experience for the Soviet Navy. The November class boats experienced numerous difficulties and accidents, culminating in what has been described as a potential “Underwater Chernobyl."