WI: The Crabbe Affair led to World War III?

[Blair152]

I remember hearing about this back in the '70s or '80s. I'm not sure which one. I also read a novel about it. The title and author escape me. Back in October 1956, a Soviet battlecruiser, I can't think of the name right now, was in Britain on a courtesy call. A British MI6 agent named Crabbe, I can't
think of his first name, was found dead under the ship. This caused a major
diplomatic row and almost led to Britain and the Soviet Union declaring war on each other. It became a major British scandal dubbed "The Crabbe Affair"
by the British media. It appeared that Crabbe had suffered a heart attack while placing explosives under the Soviet battlecruiser. What if the Crabbe Affair had let to World War III?

[Grey Wolf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Crabb

Its a cruiser not a battlecruiser, but a very interesting idea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdlov_class_cruiser

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

[Blair152]

Originally Posted by Grey Wolf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Crabb

Its a cruiser not a battlecruiser, but a very interesting idea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdlov_class_cruiser

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

I went there. Interesting article. The Crabb Affair was six years prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis. I know that now. It's mentioned in Peter Wright's 1987
book Spycatcher. The documents from the former Soviet Union won't be declassified until 2057. That's 47 years from now.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Blair152

The documents from the former Soviet Union won't be declassified until 2057. That's 47 years from now.

That four tens and seven. And that's terrible.

[Atreus]

Originally Posted by Blair152

I went there. Interesting article. The Crabb Affair was six years prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis. I know that now. It's mentioned in Peter Wright's 1987
book Spycatcher. The documents from the former Soviet Union won't be declassified until 2057. That's 47 years from now.

Its still not really a casus belli. Countries spy on each other all the time. So the british get caught in an embarrassing failure. Soviets score some propaganda points and move on.

If it does come to a war (which is rather unlikely), Soviets go down. They don't have an operational ICBM, and their bombers are vastly outnumbered by SAC. PVO strany will inflict some steep loses, and europe will get trashed, but america emerges relatively triumphant.

[Astrodragon]

Originally Posted by Blair152

I remember hearing about this back in the '70s or '80s. I'm not sure which one. I also read a novel about it. The title and author escape me. Back in October 1956, a Soviet battlecruiser, I can't think of the name right now, was in Britain on a courtesy call. A British MI6 agent named Crabbe, I can't
think of his first name, was found dead under the ship. This caused a major
diplomatic row and almost led to Britain and the Soviet Union declaring war on each other. It became a major British scandal dubbed "The Crabbe Affair"
by the British media. It appeared that Crabbe had suffered a heart attack while placing explosives under the Soviet battlecruiser. What if the Crabbe Affair had let to World War III?

I think you're reading some of the conspiracy theorists.

Crabbe wasnt placing explosives, he was on an intelligence mission (the RN wanted a good look under the ship). While this sort of thing is naughty, countries hardly consider it a causus belli, or pretty much everyone would be at war with everyone else...

The most that could happen? Lots of nasty words, freeze on relations and so on for a while, then its all forgotten again.

[Blair152]

Originally Posted by Astrodragon

I think you're reading some of the conspiracy theorists.

Crabbe wasnt placing explosives, he was on an intelligence mission (the RN wanted a good look under the ship). While this sort of thing is naughty, countries hardly consider it a causus belli, or pretty much everyone would be at war with everyone else...

The most that could happen? Lots of nasty words, freeze on relations and so on for a while, then its all forgotten again.

Maybe. However, that was what I heard back in the '70s or '80s. It's mentioned in Peter Wright's 1987 book Spycatcher, and I read a novel about it at the same time.

[Nonfiction]

Did anyone know that this was mentioned in the Peter Wright book Spycatcher?

[Blair152]

Originally Posted by Nonfiction

Did anyone know that this was mentioned in the Peter Wright book Spycatcher?

I did. I read the book the year it came out and I think I still have it. I can't
tell you what chapter it's in though.