Lionel Crabb

But to this day no one knows the truth. Was Crabb ubitN They took it to a plenN he really worked on SSSRN And if so, whether voluntary soglasiyuN questions remain unanswered
At noon on June 10, 1957, Mr.. Constable (the lowest officer rank in the UK. - Per.) Ronald Williams went to an urgent call to the scene. Fishermen found dead on the shore. Indeed, this was not surprising: the sea is often carried away in the south coast of England body drowned sailors. Only this time the sailor was not quite normal. It still had the double rubber diving suit, but he had neither head nor hands.
. At the ankles of a corpse were visible bright rusty markings, which indicated that under water at the feet of an accident was chained a heavy object
. Determine who he is and why he died, was not possible. However, even in the past, 1956. off the coast of Portsmouth mysteriously disappeared one former staff officer of the Navy of Great Britain, the diver-demolition. It was also a double diving suit. So most likely it was the missing. 5 July the remains of a drowned man was buried at Portsmouth cemetery for sailors. On the tombstone written simply: "Commander Crabb" (Commander - rank in the category of senior officers of the naval forces of Great Britain, corresponds to lieutenant colonel in the Army. - Per.).
Diver expert
Outwardly Commander Lionel Crabb, or bacchanal, as it was called teammates, was homely: a stocky sturdy little man with a hooked nose. He was born in 1911. Almost all of his life was spent at sea. During the Second World War, he participated in the formation of the first diving-subversive detachment of the Royal Navy. He has repeatedly been awarded medals for bravery in the performance of tasks related to the underwater work.
. Very soon he became a leading expert on the organization of underwater blasting.
. After the war, in 1948, Crabb was discharged from the regular army and enlisted in the Navy Reserve
. Over the next 8 years he has worked not only on the Navy, but also for British intelligence. He taught the technique of saving drowning sailors, got classified material from the sunken submarine. Crabb also developed a new technology for underwater photography. At the same time he performed and secret missions.
'Wet one's feet'
Crabb was simply obsessed with submarine incursions. He and his wife lived in a trailer near the naval base at Portsmouth, but Mrs. Crabb rarely saw her husband. He often disappears for several days and came back and explained his absence is very vague: "So, I went to wet feet". So it is not surprising that when he returned home one day after the regular raids 'to wet feet', Crabb has found no wife, no house, only a suitcase with his clothes stood alone in the middle of the net field. This happened in 1953
Crabb took the incident calmly. In general, he was a man of calm and unruffled. He bought himself a new trailer, and everything was still among friends Crabb was considered a great original and very mysterious man. As wrote one of his fellow officers, "no one knew exactly what he is engaged and who obeys". All agreed on the opinion that it performs some secret government order.
Dismissed
In 1955, Mr.. Crabb moved from Portsmouth to London and took a job at a small company to sell furniture for cafes and bars. Shockingly, he was telling everyone that he was kicked out of the Navy. However, in reality, all was not so. Modest firm, where 'work' Crabb was the 'roof' for secret meetings of agents of MI-6. A Crabbe discontented grumbling about unfair dismissal was zateyalo eyewash: Crabb preparing to carry out secret missions of special importance.
Complete mystery
Crabbe continued to periodically disappear. Each time, his mysterious absences grew longer. When a new friend Crabbe, Pat Rose, who once asked him where he had been all this time, his answer is she did not like: "Oh, go to wet feet". Pat was alarmed in earnest Crabb too much smoking, drinking excessively, and in its 44 years 'old and sick', is not suited for hazardous work. Pat also noted that in recent times Crabb very friendly with a suspicious man named Matthew Smith. She did not know what the Smith, but, in her opinion, he was 'not the most pleasant type'. Pat did not know and could not know that this 'type' was the main organizer of the secret operation, which involved and her friend.
Secrets 'Sverdlov'
In 1955, Mr.. the harbor of Portsmouth became the Soviet cruiser Sverdlov '. The British have long been interested in the vessel He possessed excellent maneuverability and easy to listen steering. In war these characteristics give the ship a tangible advantage. And now the British an opportunity to find out something about the latest technologies in the field of Russian military shipbuilding. But there was one small 'but'. Since 'Sverdlov' arrived in Portsmouth at the invitation of the government, British intelligence was obliged to leave him alone.
But the British have invented a way to circumvent this obstacle. If any friendly foreign power, say the U.S. will invite hired a diver to 'a secret inspection' ship, the British authorities have always been able to declare that they have nothing to do with. This is a volunteer diver and had to be Crabb, and lead the operation was to Smith, the CIA officer who was working in collaboration with the MI-6. In the case of successful operation the British would have received much information to the Americans. If not, the British would have to depict holy innocence.
Underwater mission
Secret immersion Commander Crabbe took place in October 1955. Undercurrent told him to 'Sverdlov'. Unobserved, Crabbe swam under the ship. On the nose there is a large circular hole. Inside was a propeller, which could be let down by the various levels to achieve better handling, and hence the maneuverability. Krabbe found out what was required. He sailed away from the ship, got on shore and went to London with the report.
But the British authorities wanted to get a more detailed description. Such an opportunity in April 1956., When the Soviet government officials arrived in Britain on an official visit. In a small flotilla of three ships entered cruiser Ordzhonikidze 'twin brother' Sverdlov '. Crabbe and Smith back to work. The operation was scheduled for April 18.
Strung Crabb
But this time it was much harder. One senior MI-6 has recently 'gone over' on the side of the Soviet Union and gave a lot of secrets to British intelligence. Was this information, including information on the operation 'Sverdlov'N If yes, then the command' Ordzhonikidze 'will stay on guard.
Crabb was all on the nerves. He told close friends that he would be 'a job of work' in Portsmouth. He even wrote about this mother chastise her immediately destroy the letter. He literally begged Pat Rose, so she went to Portsmouth with him. "Only you have to go back home one - he warned. - I'll have to stay for ". He seemed to be foreboding. He pulled from his wallet two photos and a long time they considered. These were the pictures Pat, very dear to him.
Seeing the nervousness Crabbe, Pat, too, get into a fuss. She did not recognize. It was not the one Crabbe, whom she knew.
Disappearance
Tuesday, April 17 in the hotel 'Sally Port', located on the main street of Portsmouth, drove two men. In the book of registration they have signed a L. Crabbe and M. Smith.
The next morning the watch on ships stationed in the port of Portsmouth, noticed that around the cruiser Ordzhonikidze, 'there is something strange. Soviet divers literally surrounded the ship. Suddenly, between 'Ordzhonikidze,' and stood beside him destroyer surfaced another diver. Divers with 'Ordzhonikidze' rushed to his fight followed a short duration, and then they all disappeared under the water
Soon surfaced three. The two pulled into third on the motor boat was waiting nearby, which immediately wound up and went to 'Ordzhonikidze'.
On Thursday, April 19 Smith told the clerk at the hotel, that they are issued with a friend. Pay cash, he went to the door, carrying two suitcases.
. Ten days later, the command of the British Navy made a formal statement, . that on April 18 diver Crabb, . performing as a civilian working for the verification of the technical condition of a secret underwater equipment near Portsmouth, . with the job did not return,
. Most likely, killed
Suspicious history
'Legend' deceived no one. Some information was leaked to the press, and newspaper people have published anything they could find out about the operation Crabbe. The Soviet Union was outraged. What kind of intrigiN What does all this znachitN CIA resented no less. As the British decided to send in such a responsible job with an old man ravaged by zdorovemN

Denying any involvement in the operation Crabbe, the British government hastily destroyed evidence. The hotel 'Sally Port' visited by the police, who confiscated from the registry book page of notes from April 17-19. All officers of the Portsmouth base, one way or another were connected with the events of April 18, went to sea. Friends Crabbe from the Navy was ordered not to talk about it with anyone.
A year later, the bank issued a diver's body without head and hands. One former colleagues Crabbe was instructed to identify the body and confirm that this is Lionel Crabb. The case was closed for lack of evidence.
Hitch came
But all this does not convince any friends Crabbe, nor his family. Yes, the corpse was a diving suit made in Italy - the same as wearing Crabb. But there have been some inconsistencies. The hair on the body of a headless corpses were black, whereas in the Crabbe they were light brown. There were no scars and. The former wife of Commander noted that the size of the legs is clearly not the same.
And then strange things began to happen. On the shore made a bottle with a letter addressed to the mother Crabbe. She recognized the handwriting of her son. However, that was written in this letter, she did not tell anyone. Some time later, Pat Rose saw two photographs published in a newspaper published in East Germany. These were her own photos, once donated her Krabbe. They exist only two sets of. The first was her second - in Crabbe. How could they be in East GermaniiN
Then she began to receive messages - purportedly from the Soviet secret service - that Crabb was alive. Pat received several anonymous letters. There were phone calls to confirm this.
Reporters found evidence that after the 'Ordzhonikidze' away from the shores of Britain, sat on his deck, a helicopter and took on board of a diver. This saw the sailors one Danish frigate, who was near. Stories proliferated. It is rumored that Crabb is now in the Navy under the name of Lev Davidov Korableva and teaches Special Forces soldiers (special detachment, an elite unit of the Commando Marine) Engineering underwater hand combat.
. But to this day no one knows the truth
. Was Crabb ubitN They took it to a plenN he really worked on SSSRN And if so, whether voluntary soglasiyuN questions remain unanswered.