Conspiracy Theories

[cornish-stormrider]

Now that I have your attention,
there are so many theories out there, good, bad, indifferent, CIA deception plot that it occurs to I we could have a bit of a disseimnation,

As we all know the contrails/chemtrails one is complete bunk/totally real (delete as appropriate depending on tinfoil hat status) so I'd like to open for your entertainment with........

Project Jennifer/Project Azorian, this was the recovery by said CIA of a "portion" of a sunk USSR Golf II off Hawaii.

However rumours persist, and some facts come out too, of a different story entirely.

the biggest thing is the cause of the sinking, one theory is the boat suffered a catastrophic explosion when it attempted a missile launch, cause of explosion was detonation of warhead explosives by a PAL type safety circuit designed to prevent rogue parties launching the weapon....

Have at it, all views and ideas welcome.....

[Wander00]

How odd, because researching family history today I came across another "conspiracy theory" - that the Lynmouth flood disaster was the result of experiments with cloud seeding to cause rain. Anyone any ideas on that one too.

[ShotOne]

Try reading "Red Star Rogue" , Cornish. It's very convincingly researched and written; well worth a read whether or not you go along with the conspiracy angle. Also, for background, "blind mans buff" factual account of cold-war submarine derring do,!

[Roadster280]

cause of explosion was detonation of warhead explosives by a PAL type safety circuit designed to prevent rogue parties launching the weapon....

It functioned as advertised then, no?

[brickhistory]

Is this conspiracy theory the basis for the Connery line of "One ping only, Dmitiri?" :E

[AtomKraft]

Reason the Russki sub involved in 'Azorian' sank was that the missile motor ran.

It's reckoned they were doing a drill, and accidentally caused the motor to start. The exhaust filled the hull and killed the crew. Warhead never went off. If it had there'd have been nothing left to lift...

One conspiracy theory is that it was a real launch against Hawaii, but I think that's bunkum.

I have the book and cd entitled 'Azorian'. It's a fascinating read, and Lockheeds grab- they nicknamed it/ her 'Clementine' so nearly brought the remains up intact. Had they not chosen to use maraging steel for the fingers, it would most likely have held.
Of course, no one really knows the true extent of the intelligence take. The Glomar Explorer is still working though.
It's alleged that the remaining missile separated from the wreckage. It's hard to believe that they left it lying there, when the USS Halibut could have retrieved it covertly later on....
It's the sort of adventure that Ian Fleming might have come up with for 007.
But Azorian was real. Must be one of the most fascinating episodes of the Cold War.

[ShotOne]

I'm not especially into conspiracy theories since if it's cock-up versus conspiracy, cock-up usually wins.

But the main thing weighing for this one is the staggering effort of the recovery effort versus the mediocre prize.

[500N]

Shot one.

I thought they only wanted a small portion of the sub (or missiles)
and they got that, even though a lot of the sub fell away.

I don't think they didn't already know about the sub but the missiles were
a different thing all together.

I those days, cost was not an issue !

[gr4techie]

One conspiracy theory... Back in the day when the huge number of front line squadrons we had would send a couple of jets away for a weekends airshow. We were asked about our Tornado ADV.
"What does ADV stand for mister?"
"Not Air Display Variant, but Armageddon Delivery Vehicle!!!! Fitted with the latest Blue Circle radar. Shhh don't tell anyone".

cue... jaw dropped and they take a step back in awe.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

All these conspiracy theories in the media are just to distract us from the REAL conspiracy......:E

[chopper2004]

@Wander, you're not on about the Orfordness experiments by any chance post war?

Cheers

[dctyke]

In the early 80's at Binbrook a mate of mine did a weez that went a bit wrong. Station open days were always really popular with spotters always looking through the gaps in the hanger doors to see the stored a/c in the storage flight hanger. He cut out two cannards from foam, covered them in speedtape and stuck them to the nearest mk6 to the door. He nearly caused a riot with folks demanding to know about the 'secret lightning'. In the end he had to remove them which didn't improve the mood of the mob, some still refused to believe is was a windup. Happy days.

[Wander00]

Chopper 201 - no, but I found this on a site about the Lynmouth flood - also found a bit about a glider pilot seeding clouds


In 2001, a BBC Radio 4 featured suggestions that the events of 1952 were connected to government cloud seeding (cloud seeding is the attempt to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from the sky) experiments being conducted in southern England at the time. There does not presently seem to be any direct evidence to support such allegations, but conspiracy theories have been fuelled by rumours of missing or destroyed government documents relating to the experiments.

W

[Tankertrashnav]

I would have thought that the event in Boscastle in 2004 would have put paid to any conspiracy theories about Lynmouth for once and for all, but of course you can't keep a good conspiracy down.

Sudden torrential rain in the summer in the South West is hardly a novelty, as anyone who has had their bucket and spade holiday washed out can attest.

[Wander00]

TTN - nor the west coast of Scotland - a few years apart had a fortnight in Scotland that was so hot you could hardly sit in the sun, and a few years later a fortnight of torrential rain, both in August

[davejb]

I heard that some Pprune threads are actually started by the government to distract attention from what's really going on elsewhere....
...or ARE they?