The Silent War: The Cold War Battle Beneath the Sea

by John Pina Craven

The Cold War was the first major conflict between superpowers in which victory and defeat were unambiguously determined without the firing of a shot. Without the shield of a strong, silent deterrent or the intellectual sword of espionage beneath the sea, that war could not have been won. John P. Craven was a key figure in the Cold War beneath the sea. As chief scientist of the Navy's Special Projects Office, which supervised the Polaris missile system, then later as head of the Deep Submergence Systems Project (DSSP) and the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle program (DSRV), both of which engaged in a variety of clandestine undersea projects, he was intimately involved with planning and executing America's submarine-based nuclear deterrence and submarine-based espionage activities during the height of the Cold War. Craven was considered so important by the Soviets that they assigned a full-time KGB agent to spy on him. Some of Craven's highly classified activities have been mentioned in such books as Blind Man's Bluff, but now he gives us his own insights into the deadly cat-and-mouse game that U.S. and Soviet forces played deep in the world's oceans. Craven tells riveting stories about the most treacherous years of the Cold War. In 1956 Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine and the backbone of the Polaris ballistic missile system, was only days or even hours from sinking due to structural damage of unknown origin. Craven led a team of experts to diagnose the structural flaw that could have sent the sub to the bottom of the ocean, taking the Navy's missile program with it. Craven offers insight into the rivalry between the advocates of deterrence (with whom he sided) and those military men and scientists, such as Edward Teller, who believed that the United States had to prepare to fight and win a nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union. He describes the argument that raged in the Navy over the reasons for the tragic loss of the submarine Thresher, and tells the astonishing story of the hunt for the rogue Soviet sub that became the model for The Hunt for Red October -- including the amazing discovery the Navy made when it eventually found the sunken sub. Craven takes readers inside the highly secret DSSP and DSRV programs, both of which offered crucial cover for sophisticated intelligence operations. Both programs performed important salvage operations in addition to their secret espionage activities, notably the recovery of a nuclear bomb off Palomares, Spain. He describes how the Navy's success at deep-sea recovery operations led to the takeover of the entire program by the CIA during the Nixon administration. A compelling tale of intrigue, both within our own government and between the U.S. and Soviet navies, The Silent War is an enthralling insider's account of how the submarine service kept the peace during the dangerous days of the Cold War.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History, Naval History, War, American History

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Bryan Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very scholarly book describing the experiences of the former Chief Scientist of the US Navy Special Projects Office. The author, Craven, makes multiple references to the security clearances he holds and avows that none of what is revealed in this book violates those clearances.

His involvement is extensive serving as a core component of the development of the Polaris ballistic missile system and more so the development of a submarine capable of carrying it the George Washington class submarine. This involvement led him into multiple projects associated with submarines including deep submergence rescue vessels, saturation diving, inertial navigation, and undersea intelligence collection.

The intelligence aspect is played up as the most important aspect of this book and I'd agree. While Cravin hedges and humms around the details of many of the notable intelligence programs that have made the public news, Holystone, Jennifer, USS Scorpion and K-129. He neither confirms or denies any of the public reports but simply recounts them and encourages the reader to make a conclusion. He leads a reader to believe that the K-129 submarine had gone rogue and sank trying to launch a ballistic missile at Hawaii. Likewise, that the USS Scorpion sunk after a hot running torpedo exploded in the torpedo room. The collection of undersea cable traffic and monitoring of Soviet communications is mentioned more briefly without detail.

The author clearly has a point to make and that is the strategy of deterrence works. He claims that having a credible threat to an enemy and then letting them know it's credible while at the same time giving them a similar credible threat is the only way to prevent nuclear annihilation. As a Gen X kid who lived with the thought that nuclear annihilation was inevitable it is a refreshing view.

The book is a slow read, like I said it's very scholarly. Arguments are posed, evidence developed and conclusions restated. The other reason it's hard to read is large portions are driven by what must be Cravins ego. The author makes sure to point out his degrees, the famous and influential people he knows, the multitude of clever ideas he had, how deeply essential he was to the success of many programs and similar successes. This can get a bit tiring even if some of the glimpses into famous people are interesting, the description of his interactions with Admiral Hyman Rickover were particularly fascinating.

I can recommend this book to anyone interested in the theory of deterrence, and students who want to understand the drive survivors of WWII had to prevent the recurrence of war, especially a nuclear one.

[Ushan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born in 1924 in Brooklyn, John Craven comes from a long line of naval officers. He failed to enter Annapolis twice, and during World War II enlisted in the US Navy as a seaman. After the war, Craven studied ocean technology, earning a Ph.D., and worked on submarine engineering as a civilian employee of the US Navy for most of his professional life, rising to be the Chief Scientist of the Special Projects Office. I never realized before that this domain of engineering is as fascinating as aviation, involving a different fluid. In 1954, the world's first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched; in 1955, it was realized that at high speed the vessel experienced severe vibration; an inspection showed damage so bad that the submarine would have sunk in the next few days or even hours. Craven attached sensors to several parts of the submarine and went to sea; he determined that the cause of the vibration was resonance similar to flutter in aerodynamics; at the time of the book's writing, his solution was still classified. In the late 1950s, Craven was a project manager for nuclear submarines capable of launching the Polaris ballistic missile; as he put it in speeches, the purpose of the submarines was deterrence - to threaten the Soviet Union "not with genocide, but with enough mortality to create a century of national mourning, if not eternal enmity." I find this distinction rather artificial; how many people would a single submarine firing 16 missiles with 3 warheads 13 Hiroshimas each have to kill in order to commit an act of genocide? In 1964, acting on behalf of the US Navy, Craven refused a supersonic low-altitude unmanned nuclear bomber powered by a nuclear ramjet; the bare reactor would leave a contrail deadly to all life, and would have to be dumped into the ocean, which it would poison for the next 50,000 years; fortunately, the project was canceled. In the late 1960s, Craven worked on deep sea submersibles and applied Bayesian theory to the problem of searching for objects on the seafloor. In 1966, a B-52 carrying four hydrogen bombs collided with another plane near the coast of Spain; three bombs fell on land, and one dropped into the sea, and had to be located by a massive underwater search operation involving Craven. In 1968, the Soviet submarine K-129 disappeared in the Pacific; hydrophones round the ocean recorded an explosion; with the help of triangulation and Craven's formula, the submarine was found, and parts of it were raised in 1974 by a purposely built CIA ship. Craven thinks that the some submarine officers must have attempted to launch an unauthorized missile attack on Hawaii, and others prevented this, and their struggle caused the explosion; he does not give his reasons for thinking so, since much of the relevant information is still classified. In the 1970s, Craven taught marine science and the law of the sea at the University of Hawaii, and ran for the US Congress; in Hawaii, he met a Soviet intelligence agent who was tracking all his activities. What a career!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of one scientist’s time working for the United States Navy’s Special Projects Office. Over the course of his career, John Piña Craven worked on the Polaris Submarines, the development of the DSRV, the Navy’s Saturation Diving Program, and numerous other projects. He solved a crippling design problem with USS Nautilus, helped locate a hydrogen bomb lost over Spain, and worked to solve the mystery of the loss of USS Scorpion. He did a lot of other stuff, too. The story may be most interesting to those who already have some knowledge of the projects he worked on, but the book is written in such a way that a layperson will not feel lost.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author John Pina Craven was the Chief Scientist for the US Navy's Special Projects Office from the early 6os until the late 70s, and then held a series of posts about Undersea Technology, Education, and Legal issues until the fall of Communism in the '90s. In this well written and fast paced book, he tells the story of the Nuclear Submarine Navy, but through his own eyes, Thus, it's not really about the boomers themselves, rather its about all the problems, losses and side issues of America's Submarine force- with an emphasis on the logistical base- the equipment changes, the Rescue gear, and then the few actual instances of deep undersea salvage that were called for- and declassified now- during the Cold War. This book is really interesting and I think my father may have known the author- he looks really familiar from the few NATO conventions I attended as a child. There are some interesting points where Craven's Civil or Academic paths intersect with larger political and social forces in the 70s and 80s- and those are more compelling in view of the present climate.

Craven dealt with all the star Characters in the early world of the Undersea Cold war, so folks like Rickover and Cousteau make appearances, but the real story is a lot of hard work and careful calculations (perfect Computer simulators were a decade in the future) by a much more muted cast of characters and companies. It is also fascinating to be within the world of Mutual Assured Destruction, as Craven takes you through all the difficult to fathom logic trains needed for real Nuclear Deterrence. Then the complexities of the real deep sea vehicles programs, both classified and in public view are really compelling reading. The author is very good at explaining the Cold War mindset and the differing approaches of the Military, the CIA and the NSA. I learned a lot, both about deep sea pressure physics and the history of this part of the Cold War.

With a LOT of adult themes, both office politics and the larger kind, but no opportunity for gore, this is a fine book for a motivated junior reader over about 13-14 years. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military enthusiast- a more mixed read. This is a GREAT book for the Military Enthusiast, like me, who wants to understand deep sea warfare much better. But I'm not sure this will really improve gamer scenarios or modeller dioramas, as the sub world is not gamed/modeled anywhere near as much as Naval Surface and Air topics. There is so much information to be gleaned, and fun to have reading this book, that I think folks should take the plunge just to get a better understanding of modern submarine technology and its effect on the Cold War and post Cold War worlds.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Pina Craven's recounts his role as Chief Scientist for the US Navy's Special Projects Office, which oversaw the Polaris and Poseidon missile development, fielding, and deployment. As a civilian Navy employee, Craven served as troubleshooter and expediter for crucial US Navy technologies both for the regular Navy and intelligence operations. Rather than another dry book, Craven brings to life the personalities of the key players of the day, including Teller and Rickover. The book covers his career as Chief Scientist from the mid-1950s through the end of the Soviet Union and the establishment of the Russian Federation. Craven helps readers understand the US Navy's strategic thinking that nuclear weapons were to serve as a deterrent to prevent nuclear war rather than a just another type of bomb to hurl at the enemy. The book is full of interesting, jaw-dropping incidents worth further reading and Craven is helpful in pointing readers to other sources. This includes a rogue Soviet submarine that may have attempted to launch a missile at Hawaii before it mysteriously sank. Craven is a good story teller and at his best when he tells his story through first hand knowledge. One should approach this book as a series of war stories rather than a coherent unified thesis. In fact, I felt the end of the book was rather hurried and Craven may have had something else in mind rather than the current ending.

[R D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure where to start with this one.. This was an amazing book for me. I can't immediately recall any books I've read recently that have had the impact this one has. Dr. Craven's description of the beginning stages of the US of A's submarine nuclear deterrence programs really opened my eyes to things that never occurred to me during my time in submarines while stationed at Pearl Harbor. His recounting of the role he played during this country's Cold War and the transition from the Cold War to perestroika was fascinating. His activities regarding regarding the intersection of the U.S. Navy and ocean resources while at the University of Hawaii, some of which took place while I was at Pearl, were fascinating.

If you have an interest in naval submarine history and operations with a side of Hawaii state government politics, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

[Aaron Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly really like the first 2 chapters of the book and how they give a really good description on developing and testing the Nautilus for the US Navy. It gives a really good background so far to the history and the making of the ship itself and also it shows what Craven is involved in during this time period. I honestly would like to read the other books if there is a series of this topic and hopefully the other books will be as good or better than the first one.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stuff here but considering how much more Craven was capable of revealing it was a bit disappointing. No sources other than his memory so clearly he is still a poker player who doesn't want to give anything away. At times his recurring focus on old rivals Teller, Rickover and McNamara gets a bit annoying but he can inject some unique humor as well.

[John Klose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories within!

I read this book in hopes only learning a valuable timeline of historic naval incidents and technology developments. I was not disappointed. Dr Craven was a national treasure and reminds me that Giants walk amongst us, and I am humbled by, and grateful for, their quiet dedication and service.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Craven certainly had a great career and an important role in deterrence during the Cold War. The book wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. The book is about his personal experiences and work he did, not so much on submarines or missions that took place.

[Adelbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not necessarily the book I was hoping it would be (I was hoping for more on SEALAB and Operation Sand Dollar) but an interesting read nonetheless from the man who was at the forefront of some of the Cold War’s most infamous underwater operations.

[Lewis Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Sargeant Schultz had read this book, he definitely would've said, "very interesting". Learned more than a few things from this book.

[George A Stevens Jr.]

Loved it!!

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. At times highly technical but still fascinating.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book mediocre after having read a few other cold war submarine books. After having read the others, this was somewhat anticlimactic.

[Mer]

https://hardcover.app/books/the-silen...

[Jim Blevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book about the silent service and some of their missions beneath the waves. Very interesting.

[David Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Craven tells the story of his involvement in the cold war, chiefly as a high level civilian technical manger in the Defense Dept. His story begins with his role helping to diagnose some serious problems with the first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus, in 1955. Advancing rapidly to high positions, Craven gets involved in many of the most important cold war programs and incidents, from development of the Polaris missile system for submarines, to investigating the loss of the submarines Thresher and Scorpian, helping in a secret mission to locate a missing Soviet submarine and unraveling the frighteningly possible scenarios of its loss, to running undersea programs that greatly advanced the Navy's and mankind's abilities beneath the sea. His stories include his efforts to help locate and recover the nuclear weapons that fell from the sky when bombers collided over Palomares, Spain, and his team's role in development of the Navy's abilities for underwater espionage missions.

As someone who was on the very fringes of a few of the the cold war activities described by Craven, as a navy officer doing engineering for nuclear ships in the 1960s, I was vaguely aware of some of the stories but much was new, and fascinating.

This book will interest those in the Navy, now or in the past, those interested in the history of the cold war, anyone who is curious about the undersea technology developed during that period, and students of bureaucracy and possibly politics.

Craven is a good writer, and spins a good yarn. Unfortunately, he may come off as a bit of a bragger, as he tells of his own rapid rise, his many roles, his insights and contributions, and his (self-described) excellent poker playing. But that aspect is not as meaningful as the narrative content, which is well told. He leans heavily at times of the implications and strategic importance of the missions he describes. This is helpful, especially for stories that have been partly revealed in other books and for which his interpretation might be different.

I was particularly struck by his explanation of the roles of President Nixon and Henry Kissinger in the likely implications of the Russian submarine lost in 1968. I had read similar explanations elsewhere and Craven's confirmation was valuable, as well as a bit frightening.

And i was pleased to read that craven's philosophy and that of the office he headed was that their efforts were intended to avoid nuclear war. It was made clear that not everyone sings that tune.

This book was very enjoyable. The writing is good, it is sprinkled with humor and wit, and the stories are engaging and exciting. Some of the nation's best technological accomplishments are portrayed, in a way that helps show the interplay of politics, military strategy, personal dedication, and organizational skills.

[VeeDawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not necessarily well written, or even well told, but very interesting story about some of the thinking going on during the Cold War. Also, some very intriguing stories about what may have actually happened in undercover operations. I was not liking it too much until I got to some of the later chapters such as "The Hunt for Red September: A Tale of Two Submarines" and "The Fisherman's Friend." They were very interesting. It was fun to hear about Q clearance and other top secret stuff too. The ending of the book really sold me, Craven said, "The public has breathed a sigh of relief. [When the Soviet Union collapsed.:] The evil empire is no more. But those of us who are concerned about command and control of nuclear weapons worry because they still exist, they are not fully accounted for ... It is a brand-new game ..." I'm glad I read this one.

[Dave Monti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, a good one to read after reading Blind Man's Bluff (Sontag and Drew). John Craven was at one time the Chief Scientist of the Navy's Special Projects Office, the original name of today's Strategic Systems Programs. The book gives great insight into a fascinating mind; he and many others had some incredible accomplishments in protecting our country during the Cold War.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting information, but a bit difficult to read at times due to the writing style. Also, while I understand that much of this information is still classified, it makes for a frustrating read at times due to the fact that there is so much that is left out of the story. A good read overall, especially for those who enjoy the history of espionage and naval warfare.

[Nicola Olsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Craven is mentioned several times in Blind Man's Bluff and so it was fun to hear his side of the story. He has some really great insights and some interesting things to say. He is pretty full of himself sometimes too. Fun book. Lots more technicall jargon.

[Mary Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so much information about the cold war that the common citizen do not know about. All of that unknown may be good for the common citizen. There are many parts to the cold war. This book only cover a small portion of the submarine part of the cold war.

John Craven was self promoting.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting history of top secret US underwater adventures during the Cold War, told by the director of Navy Special Projects. Couldn't ask for a better tale-teller.

[Steven Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having interviewed Craven, I can attest to his brilliance.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book.

[Lee Norfleet · Rating 4 out of 5]

More cold war info concerning submarines and ....Stuff

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating history of the development of modern submarines, by one of the most prominent people who ran the programs.

[James Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history of spy craft in the Cold War on submarines. A bit technical. It also delves into the personalities and politics and battles for control of nuclear submarines.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The untold story of the U.S submarine force espionage program there really was a hunt for red october