[rottndog]

Actually, subs do implode if they go passed crush depth...at least non-flooded compartments do. The steel the hull is made of will actually fracture under crush depth pressure, into many pieces. The debate we always had was whether we would die first by physically being shredded by the debris, or whether we would burn to death by the heat of the compressed air as the hull gave way. Either way, it would be over for us in a fraction of a second.

Good thing we always had one surface for every dive.

[rottndog]

BTW, Thresher sank because by procedure when the reactor scrammed, she could not restart it quickly. Without propulsion, she was not able to drive up to the surface. During the subsequent emergency blow, some of the emergency blow valves froze shut due to water in the lines. With no propulsion, and no way do increase buoyancy, Thresher sank.

This led directly to changes in reactor startup procedures, and brought the Sub-Safe system into being.