Exploring History: A Soviet Submarine’s Visit To Seattle

 Looking back at when a Soviet submarine appeared in the "Emerald City" of Seattle, Washington. 

The "Cobra" or B-39  was a Soviet Diesel submarine that arrived in Seattle and stayed for several years. It may sound like the plot of a "Cold War" era movie, but the submarine came to the Pacific Northwest when the frigid chill of the "Cold War" had warmed up. In the early 2000s, the "Cobra" was moored in Elliot Bay along Pier 48. Before moving to San Diego's Maritime Museum, the submarine was available for tours in Seattle for several years. 

The Cobra was in Soviet Navy service from the late 1960s until the early 1990s. Some say the "Cobra" and others in the Soviet Pacific Fleet even patrolled off the coast of Washington State and the Pacific during their time in service. 

About the B-39 

B-39 was part Soviet Navy that was part of a group of submarines called "Project 641." It was as long as three school buses and weighed more than 2,000 cars. B-39 was made to follow American and NATO ships in oceans worldwide. 

The "Project 641" subs spent a lot of time watching U.S. Navy ships near San Diego as  was part of the Soviet Pacific fleet. These submarines were called "Foxtrot" by NATO. They were more extensive and more robust versions of German submarines from World War II that was armed with 24 torpedoes. 

The Cobra had a crew of 78 people and could go very deep underwater. The Soviet and later Russian navies used it from the 1950s to the 1990s. Today, the Cobra serves as a historic reminder of the "Cold War Era."