In the dark early hours of January 25, 1968, the INS Dakar, an Israeli submarine newly purchased from the British Royal Navy, was slicing at top speed through the eastern Mediterranean. The vessel had passed Crete not long before on the way to its new home port of Haifa. Shortly after midnight, the Dakar sent out a routine radio transmission. Then it vanished without a trace.
This model shows the Israeli submarine INS Dakar before its fatal voyage. The sub had previously served in the British Royal Navy as the HMS Totem.
Extensive searches were undertaken but proved fruitless. Over the years, further searches were conducted in various areas of the eastern Mediterranean, but all to no avail. In Israel, the fate of the lost sub and its crew of 69 has remained a topic of intense interest, and early this year, the government awarded a contract to Nauticos Corp. of Hanover, Md., which mounted yet one more search.
The Voyage of the Dakar
The Dakar was built by the British during World War II and was known as the HMS Totem during its years in Royal Navy service. In the early 1950s, the boat underwent a program of refurbishment that was standard for boats of its class. The vessel was cut in half and a new section with an additional battery was added, along with a 10-man diving chamber and a modified sail. The streamlining was also improved.
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