Secret Warriors - British Submarines during the Cold War (446)

Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times

Ian Sanders

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 863 Ratings

🗓️ 7 March 2026

⏱️ 75 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

During the Cold War, some of the most dangerous encounters between East and West took place far beneath the ocean’s surface. I speak with historian Dr. Paul Brown, author of Secret Warriors: British Submarines during the Cold War. Brown reveals the extraordinary covert missions carried out by Royal Navy submarines as they monitored Soviet naval bases near Murmansk and the Barents Sea. British boats gathered vital intelligence by recording the acoustic signatures of Soviet submarines, trailing enemy vessels, and observing major naval exercises. These missions were risky and occasionally resulted in collisions, such as the dramatic incident involving HMS Warspite in 1968. Along the way, Brown shares remarkable stories of Cold War espionage at sea, including a daring intelligence operation where a British submarine secretly observed the Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev from just a few feet away. This is a rare glimpse into one of the Cold War’s most secretive battlefields: the depths of the ocean. Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠⁠ Episode extras here ⁠⁠ https://coldwarconversations.com/episode446⁠ Similar episodes: On Her Majesty’s Nuclear Submarine Service ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode162/ From the Merchant Navy to Covert Hunter Killer Nuclear Submarine Missions https://coldwarconversations.com/episode388/ ⁠ Go to ⁠⁠https://surfshark.com/coldwardeal⁠⁠ or use code COLDWARDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONTINUE THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter/X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations, the home of real stories of the Cold War.
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1:04.8	The Swifshire slowly and carefully approached the stern of Kiev. This was a very dangerous position to get into.
1:14.5	They could see the carrier's massive propellers churning in the water, and she was only about
1:19.5	10 or 12 feet away. This is Cold War Conversations. If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to Cold War history.
1:30.7	Please make sure you follow us in your podcast app so you don't miss future episodes.
1:35.4	During the Cold War, some of the most dangerous encounters between East and West took place far beneath the ocean's surface.
1:42.5	I speak with historian Dr Paul Brown, author of Secret Warriors
1:46.5	British submarines during the Cold War. He reveals the extraordinary covert missions carried out
1:52.4	by Royal Navy submarines as they monitored Soviet naval bases in the Barents Sea. British boats
1:58.4	gathered vital intelligence by recording the acoustic signatures of
2:02.0	Soviet submarines, trailing enemy vessels and observing major naval exercises. These missions were risky
	...

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