How Did Vasili Arkhipov Save the World in 1962?

You might not recognize the name Vasili Arkhipov, but it's more than likely that you owe him a debt of gratitude. Although his heroic actions only came to light relatively recently, it's now understood that Arkhipov's cool head helped to avert a potential global nuclear conflict.

In October 1962, Vasili Arkhipov was a 34-year-old senior officer aboard the Soviet B-59 sub, which was below the waves near Cuba. B-59 was secretly carrying a nuclear torpedo, which the crew was authorized to launch without special approval if the need arose.

On October 27, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the crew of B-59 became alarmed when U.S. Navy destroyers began dropping depth charges. This was not an attack – these were non-lethal signaling depth charges, intended to prompt the Soviet sub to surface and identify itself. However, without any radio communication, the crew of B-59 worried that war had already broken out, and Captain Valentin Savitsky began thinking seriously about launching their 10-kilotonne weapon. However, all three senior officers needed to agree before the launch could commence. Arkhipov, the chief of staff and second-in-command, refused, wanting to prevent a rapid escalation that would likely lead to a devastating nuclear exchange.

An unsung hero of the Cold War: