They combined two innovations: nuclear power and a teardrop hull design ... rather than an intact submarine passing through collapse depth." Thus the tragedy was caused not by a torpedo or ...

Catastrophic failures could also occur without a sub hitting its collapse depth. Any damage or flaws in the sub's construction may create a weak point and cause the hull's failure. At extreme ...

“The integrity of the submarine may have been compromised by damage to the material used for its hull, which accumulated during the numerous journeys it undertook prior to the collapse,” notes ...