I never knew a sub could take a hit like this and make it.

Jumping out of airplanes makes perfect sense but sub riders got cast iron balls!

There ain't no way in hell I'de ever volunteer for duty on a boat that intentionally sinks itself!!!

If you look at the top of the sub where the guy is walking it looks like there is a bulge. Is this part of the design, or did the sub nearly buckle like an accordian?

Well...A sub is basically a 'boat within a boat' or a sinkable thermos bottle.

The hull buckling is the outer hull only.

Without being a real expert, I would say the damage, while severe, did not compromise the pressure hull in a significant way..

My unofficial opinion is that she will be back in commission after a few months in the graving docks.

Her sonar dome and array is a complete loss.....

HAL9000 - Hey your handle is all CAPS...

I saw in the Navy Times this week that they (Navy Times) compared a satellite photograph of the area where the sub hit the "undersea mountain" with actual charts like the sub commander would be using. The chart was wrong, according to the satellite photo. According to the article, the Navy is looking into why the chart is incorrect.

TOW....Haha...

Yeah. It will be interesting to see the reasons why. Submariners are much better at explaining the vageries of charting the bottom..but it's a strict discipline....