K-129, missile attack against Hawaii - US response?

[RandomChance]

Let’s say that the USSR essentially takes the knee to prevent further escalation. Would LBJ push further concessions? The Vietnam war is still ongoing and the Soviets were the main backers, while in Europe Prague Spring had started…

 

[ric350]

The other thing that would probably lead to all out war, is the Soviets will know about Hawaii the same time the US does. They had previously lost contact with K-129, and had no idea where it was or why. So if the US launches an immediate counter strike, no matter how small, the Soviets are probably going to interpret a first strike, (and in the immortal words of General Buck Turgidson), “go absolutely ape, and strike back with everything they’ve got.”

Apparently, even after the B-59 incident, Soviet nuclear C&C was still pretty flimsy on their subs.

ric350

 

[Captain Homicide]

One of the wilder ones is that the sub went rogue (something to do with the US naval response to the USS Pueblo incident), and was going to launch its 3 missiles against Pearl Harbor with no authority.

I love wild theories but did anything remotely like this ever happen in Soviet history? The chances of an entire submarine crew agreeing to launch nuclear weapons without authorization and the knowledge that it would lead to war is very unlikely.

I’m sure like the US anyone with the ability to launch nuclear weapons would be rigorously vetted so they don’t disobey orders or act without authorization.

 

[Johnrankins]

That reminds me of the 1990 techno-thriller film called By Dawn's Early Light. The plot involved rogue elements of the Soviet military taking nukes and detonating it at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey along with limited strikes in Joint-Base Andrews (original target was Washington D.C. but kills the Vice President and some cabinet members save for the Secretary of the Interior), Spokane AFB, and other sites in China.

The Soviet President calls the White House and apologizes for the whole thing, saying that rogue elements were responsible for it. He then tells his U.S. counterpart that he would accept if the U.S. would launch a limited strike against the USSR to make it fair game, but fearfully warns that an all-out retaliation would be met in-kind. The Soviet President then begs the U.S. President to choose the right thing as it appeared that U.S. and USSR relations were going better (i.e. mirroring glasnost and perestroika of OTL) up until those rogue elements almost destroyed the peace created by this thawing relations.

This is very much a best case scenario. I can't see the US not retaliating with nukes in some way.

 

[Gillan1220]

This is very much a best case scenario. I can't see the US not retaliating with nukes in some way.

Spoiler

The U.S. was about to retaliate in a limited acceptable fashion for the Soviet President but there were some B-52s that decided to disobey orders. It didn't help the President was thought to be dead (he survives) but is replaced by the Secretary of the Interior who follows protocol. Just as the new POTUS was about to launch an all-out attack against the USSR even though rogue elements were responsible, one of the Command and Control planes decided to ram the E-4B to prevent WWIII from occurring.

 

[kmmontandon]

Spoiler

The U.S. was about to retaliate in a limited acceptable fashion for the Soviet President but there were some B-52s that decided to disobey orders. It didn't help the President was thought to be dead (he survives) but is replaced by the Secretary of the Interior who follows protocol. Just as the new POTUS was about to launch an all-out attack against the USSR even though rogue elements were responsible, one of the Command and Control planes decided to ram the E-4B to prevent WWIII from occurring.

You're also describing the 1983 book Trinity's Child, which the "Dawn's Early Light" movie must have been based on (I haven't seen it).

 

[Hetzer1901]

'Soviet Broccoli Zoccoli, what's he doing today?'

He's dead

The End.

Hahaha I love asdf movies!!