Today we speak with Ian Ballantyne, the author of “Hunter Killers”, also known as “Undersea Warriors” in the United States.Hunter Killers’ tells the incredible, true inside story of the Royal Navy’s Cold War beneath the waves.

Buy the book and support the podcast here https://amzn.to/3jalireWe talk about the forgotten role Royal Navy submarines played in the Cuban Missile Crisis while also learning the truth behind what official statements called collisions with ‘icebergs’.In addition, we cover the processes and procedures of the Polaris submarine nuclear missile launch as well as the “Letters of Last Resort”.Now I really need your help to allow me the time to continue producing and preserving these Cold War stories.A monthly donation to help keep us on the air is only about $3, £3 or €3 per month (larger amounts are welcome too) plus you can get a sought after CWC coaster as a monthly financial supporter and you bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/If a financial contribution is not your cup of tea, then you can still help us by leaving written reviews wherever you listen to us as well as sharing us on social media. It really helps us get new guests on the show.I am delighted to welcome Iain Ballantyne to our Cold War conversation…There’s further information on this episode in our show notes which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode150If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations on Facebook.Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated

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0:00 Introduction0:43 Interview with Ian Ballantine, author of 'Hunter Killers'1:18 Role of Royal Navy submarines in the Cuban missile crisis3:02 Post-war use of WWII submarines and sharing of captured submarine technology9:58 Intelligence gathering missions in the Barents Sea14:49 Royal Navy's participation in the Cuba quarantine19:29 Under-ice missions and the Royal Navy going nuclear30:10 Introduction of nuclear-powered submarines in the Royal Navy41:00 Identification of NATO submarines by the Soviet Union52:08 Authentication and launch process of missiles1:02:05 Collision incident between HMS Splendid and a Typhoon1:09:37 The burial at sea prank on the Russians by HMS London1:14:30 The uncertainty during the hardliner's coup in Moscow1:19:10 The most dangerous area of confrontation: Under the Sea1:21:00 Proposal for a submariners' memorial1:23:52 Acknowledging the contributions of patrons and sponsorsChapters powered by PodcastAI✨Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices