On July 4, 1961, a submarine was 300 feet deep in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Within this submarine, something horrifying was unfolding that was completely unknown to the outside world.

Inside, men stood outside a door, and the moment they opened it, they knew their prolonged suffering would begin, if not worse.

And yet, they had no other choice.

This is their horrifying story, and as always, viewer discretion is strongly advised.

The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was unlike any war the Earth had ever seen.

It's generally accepted to have begun somewhere between 1945 and 1947 and would continue for the next nearly half a century.

During that period, there were several points where tensions were high enough

that they even trickled down to being felt by ordinary citizens. It's hard to really put

into words what the atmosphere was like unless you were alive to experience it, at least

according to contemporary accounts. Schools literally practiced, duck-and-cover drills, and

fallout shelters were encouraged in homes across America. About a decade into the war in the late 1950s, the war was approaching one of its most precarious points.

Not only was it the worst arms race in history up until then, but the stakes were simply so high because of the weapons involved.

Both countries had several nuclear projects and development that could have horrific consequences

if something ever went wrong or if they were ever used.

At the time the US had just launched the USS George Washington, the world's first nuclear

missile submarine capable of submerged launches.

To keep up with the pace and as a direct response to the severe US threat, the Soviet

Navy, rushed to create the K-19.

This was their own first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and the first of eight

of a kind in what was known as Project 658.

Construction began in October of 1957 on the shores of the White Sea and it was built in

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