Secret Warriors - British Submarines during the Cold War (446)

About this episode

The episode explores the covert missions of British submarines during the Cold War, featuring insights from historian Dr. Paul Brown.

During the Cold War, some of the most dangerous encounters between East and West took place far beneath the ocean’s surface. I speak with historian Dr. Paul Brown, author of Secret Warriors: British Submarines during the Cold War. Brown reveals the extraordinary covert missions carried out by Royal Navy submarines as they monitored Soviet naval bases near Murmansk and the Barents Sea. British boats gathered vital intelligence by recording the acoustic signatures of Soviet submarines, trailing enemy vessels, and observing major naval exercises. These missions were risky and occasionally resulted in collisions, such as the dramatic incident involving HMS Warspite in 1968. Along the way, Brown shares remarkable stories of Cold War espionage at sea, including a daring intelligence operation where a British submarine secretly observed the Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev from just a few feet away. This is a rare glimpse into one of the Cold War’s most secretive battlefields: the depths of the ocean. Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠⁠ Episode extras here ⁠⁠ https://coldwarconversations.com/episode446⁠ Similar episodes: On Her Majesty’s Nuclear Submarine Service…

People in this episode

Host: Ian Sanders

Guest: Dr. Paul Brown

Topics covered

• Cold War
• submarines
• espionage
• naval history
• intelligence operations

Keywords

• British submarines
• Cold War espionage
• HMS Warspite
• Soviet naval bases
• intelligence gathering

Sponsors

Surfshark VPN

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Royal Navy

Products: Surfshark VPN

Books & works: Secret Warriors: British Submarines during the Cold War

Places: Murmansk, Barents Sea, HMS Warspite, Soviet Union

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