Incredible Way the CIA Stole a Soviet Submarine During Cold War 

Submarine: *sink Cia : hipity hopity you are my property

“One of the most ambitious intelligence operations in history” Yes, among the ones we *KNOW* about

Soviet spies: we don't have that info. American journalists: let me get that for you.

This wouldn't have been possible if the Russians used Dashlane.

Iran: Write that down! Write that down!

From the thumbnail I thought that they captured a live sub Imagine if that happened Soviet: what was that Other Soviet: we're caught in a tractor beam

So there's still some nukes down there huh? Asking for a friend.

Submarine: sinks Lester: we have another hiest!

This sounds like a GTA Online heist.

Technically they didn’t steal it cause in Soviet Russia, that submarine belongs to everyone

Activision: WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN

Imagine just stealing an entire submarine that would be the best flex possible

Soviet submarine: sinks Soviets: sad noises CIA: Oh boi

My dad was an engineer on this project. He worked on the claw apparatus (Clemintine). I didn't realize the significance of it until years after he passed. I remember visiting him at work in Redwood City as a kid one time and seeing the barge docked there. Since he wasn't able to tell us what he was actually working on, I just thought dad worked on a barge. He traveled a lot and most of the time we didn't know where he was going. Turns out many of the trips were to southern California. He did share some stories before he passed, but I know he took secrets to his grave, as I'm sure many of those that worked on the project probably did.

It was most likely called “Project Azorian” because of the USS SCORPION, a U.S. Navy submarine that was lost near the Azore Islands while monitoring Soviet activity in the same area. Both K-129 and and the USS SCORPION sank in 1968, just two months apart. The SCORPION sank in March, while the K129 sank in May.

In soviet rusia one for everyone, one for US

"It's all bears in a Russian submarine, Russian submarine, Russian submarine" - The Blyatles

Hello friends, a fellow Russian passing by. Despite that we learn quite a lot about the history of Cold War in Russian schools I actually never knew about the story of K-129. I just watched the video published by the CIA about the burial at sea ceremony the US government held for those Soviet submariners recovered during the run of Project Azurian and it made me cry. I didn't know those brave men who gave their lives for the safety of the Motherland their serviced at the time and I'm definitely not the one to judge the actions both USA and USSR took during the Cold War, it's definitely for people who know history better. But even our nations unfortunately never been friendly to each other I want to express my gratitude for all the US government did to comemorate those people, it is absolutely touching and shows that even during the neverending tension between our nations people still stay people, no matter what language do they speak and political opinions they share. In the times of world pandemia we have at the moment it brings the feeling that hopefully one day there will be no misunderstanding between us and the world will be a better place. Спасибо Вам огромное.

In 1971 I needed a security clearance from the US Army to serve in a Pershing Missile unit. Much to the surprise of my AIT officers at Fort Sill my paperwork came back weeks before anyone else. They wanted to know why and I had no idea. Years later I learned my dad, who worked for Global Marine, was on the project and the CIA had already looked into the entire family. Would have been smart if they had held my paperwork for awhile but as it was no one took note.

Wow this story is like a movie but its really true!!!

So basically they had the same budget as Avengers: Endgame

So you telling me that there are free nukes waiting to be removed?

"We only got a portion of the sub. Trust us it was only a portion." Exactly what they would want you to think. I bet they got the whole dang thing

“To the living we owe respect, but to the dead we owe only the truth.”

I worked on the Glomar Explorer when she was converted to a heavy drill ship in Mobile, AL. How something that big with such a large moon pool opening could float was fascinating.

Im Glad This Video Is Animated Cutely

I remember reading about this in a book about submarine stories from the cold war. It was really quite interesting.

Rockstar, in need of a new GTA Online heist: WRITE THAT DOWN, WRITE THAT DOWN!

You can't steal from someone who doesn't believe in personal property

Yay, I missed these types of videos! Thanks info graphics!

I was a kid when this occurred but I remember when it hit the news. I thought it was pretty neat they could pull something like this off. It's a pity they didn't get a second chance to try for the rest of the sub...

The recovery ship was stored near my hometown for years. Stuck in the mud in Suisun Bay, and my uncle was part of a maintenance crew that service it. By the looks of it you would think it was a oil rig.

The USS Pueblo, the North Koreans still have it in Pyongyang. It’s a tourist museum and they view the ship as a trophy

How many videos do you want to make a day? The infographics Show: Yes!

Just found out my uncle worked on refitting it into a real actual drill ship, he said that the metal was a pain to work with because it was thicker and stronger, took multiple days to weld. He also said that even when the government stripped all the classified stuff out, there was still one room no one was allowed in.

The most incredible thing about this video is the fact that at 1:29 theres an I-16 going out with Cold War era destroyers and subs.

and i thought the claw machines at the arcade were hard

Suddenly that old scene from a bond film where a ship swallows another ship doesn't seem so far-fetched

*In Russia you don’t steal submarines, submarines steal you*

Honestly this gives me more information about history than my teacher and I can keep tract and pay attention due the relaxing visual and auditory aid

This was like described by Tom Clancy by his novel The Hunt for Red October in the 80s

The really interesting part about this is the recovery of the nuclear torpedos (and any missiles we weren't told about). It is possible to perform isotopic forensics in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion to determine where the plutonium was manufactured. That means we have Russian Plutonium, and could build a weapon out of it, use it somewhere, and blame the Russians.

I laughed hard at Yeltsin being so pink XD nice hint there.

An amazing story that I can't believe they never made into a movie yet. The interesting and disgusting part is that three newspapers found out about it possibly compromising the U.S. advantage during the cold war, however only the L.A. Times reported it. I guess they wanted to cover WW3.

They should have had James Bond rescue it.

Maybe they lifted the whole thing and ripped it apart inside the ship then said it broke while being lifted. It just seems like it they did all of this creative engineering then they would have lifted it at both ends at the same time.

we don't actually know how much or what was left of the sub that they were able to get at. We do know that they had a memorial service for the USSR sailors

The best intelligence subs got was the cable tapping missions

These stories can be quite bizarre and interesting at the same time.

*This video sounds like it could be a sequel to the submarine movie with Gerald Butler called Hunter Killer.*

You truly choose great topics. The only other time I heard of this story was about 10 years ago on NPR’s RadioLab.

I love it how the visualization military equipment often has nothing to do with the actual look of the model in question.

8:42 the Soviet sailors mooned.... 🤣

The graphook missed. Game Over! 25$ to try again.

This was the inspiration for the sub-swallowing supertanker in the Roger Moore Bond film, 'The Spy Who Loved Me'.

3:27 Love to see Soviet troops with American sub machine guns from the late 30s to early 40s. Thanks infographic

Y’all seen the movie “Hunt for Red October”?

Question: Are these ads working or is everyone just waiting for the “Skip Ads” button to appear?

my grandfather was on the glomar explorer, lots of cool stories. lots of cool stories that nobody else probably knows nor ever will know

That burial was honestly super classy.

Nobody: CIA: Yoink!

Additionally, operation "music background" was considered a complete failure, which was confusing, considering the quality of the video.

The aircraft at 1:31 must be an obscure Soviet propeller-driven plane that's just lost its propeller. My thoughts and prayers go to the pilot.

Howard Hughes involvement was logical and critical to the success of Project Azorian. Greatest intelligence coup in history. Still is.

Honestly, the name "operation sand dollar" made the video for me.

this was actually, in real life, a very sad experience. kinda weird now to see someone tell it in a cartoon form. The "Claw" broke in a few places, lost a lot of the salvage half way up. In part of what was did recovered, some of the remains of the young mariners were still in their bunks and everything was irradiated.

Stuck at the ocean floor, with no way of escape and no rescue coming in... not the most fun way to die. I hope we'll get the technology to save submarines and their crew in the future, because not many people deserve such a horrid fate...

At least this video refers to the ship as the Explorer. Most documentaries call the ship the Glomar. In Global Marine, every vessel in the fleet had "Glomar" in the name. So Glomar Explorer was simply called the Explorer by crews and company employees.

What happened to the rest of the sub that fell back down? And where is the recovered part today?

Hughes shaking with his left hand and Fat guy shaking with his right hand. How awkward.

Howard Hughes really said "if you wont do it i will" 🤣

You just realized “the hunt for red October”. Thankyou

Great content 👍

“The ship would later serve a purpose much like its cover story” Not so sure about that buddy.

Oh yes. Howard Hughes and the Glomar Explorer. I remember that time.

Blind Man's bluff is a great documentary on this

My Grandpa was one of the captains of that ship the glomar explorer. He unfortunately passed away but he has told some crazy stories about the event. He was a C.I.A. agent for multiple years. It is very cool to see this video and know that he was part of something so big. Thank you

*What a way to start a decade.*

The plot partially reminds me "Hunt for the red october" :x

8:44 did you say they mooned each other? That’s hilarious

Imagine mooning some thieves.

4 words: Hunt for Red October

You should make a video on William Buckley the wild white man. It's about a convict who escaped his camp in Australia and ended up living with an Aboriginal tribe for like 30 years

Great video marred and interrupted by 7 ads! Fortunately I managed to get around them.

When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was a guide on how to steal a sandwich from Subway.

I installed 4 precision DGPS units on the Glomar Explorer in the late 1990’s. The Russian sub recovery was well known at that time! It is a very impressive ship with a massive moon pool!

Gotta love at 2:58 how our top scientist just popped a ballon with a flat piece of chalk, then ate it. Truly the peak of human intelligence.

BRILLIANT video thanks 🙏 ❤

It went from a foot long sub to a six inch sub

I honestly couldn’t tell where the actual video ended and the vpn ad started.

I read an article about this operation on Safari Magazine many years ago, it was quite fascinating to learn about it.

The CIA: *"I'll steal it! No one will ever know!"*

Now this video is just cold

Howard Hughes also designed the modern hospital bed while convalescing in one he found lacking. Heros. American heros.

So there’s still half a ship in the oceans

Will you make a video on the USS Scorpion?

1:59 My boy talkin in morse code.

The hunt for the Red October meets a sequel to hunter killer classic Cold War espionage Black ops warrior mission

Im on power saving mode Oh wait…

What if, they actually succeeded on the 2nd try we know nothing about? :O