Everyone Says US Navy Nuclear Submarine USS Dallas "Sank" Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious in 2013. The Royal Navy Record Confirms the Attack But No 'Kill'

A widely repeated claim from a 2013 Gulf of Oman exercise says the USS Dallas penetrated the screen around the British carrier HMS Illustrious and “sank” it. But the Royal Navy’s surviving official record confirms Dallas (a first-flight Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine) conducted simulated torpedo attacks against Illustrious and stopped short of any umpire ruling declaring the carrier destroyed. The article details the carrier’s supporting units and roles, including Illustrious’s Merlin helicopters and sonar-related assets, plus escort ships USS Bulkeley and HMS Westminster. Dallas is described as about 360 feet long, around 6,900 tons submerged, with one nuclear reactor, capable of speeds over 25 knots, and carrying Mk 48 torpedoes. It also explains the exercise’s phases and why warm, shallow water can complicate sonar detection.