Pete Hegseth’s recent claim about the US sinking an enemy ship with a torpedo for the first time since World War II was found to be inaccurate. The US defense secretary reported that an American submarine had sunk an “Iranian warship” in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday night, stating it was the first enemy ship sunk by a torpedo since World War II.

However, this assertion is incorrect as British Tigerfish torpedoes fired by a nuclear-powered submarine sank Argentina’s General Belgrano during the Falklands War in 1982. Hegseth confirmed the sinking of the Iranian navy vessel, emphasizing its destruction and ineffectiveness.

Describing the incident, Hegseth mentioned that the Iranian warship believed it was safe in international waters before being quietly destroyed by a torpedo. Professor Anthony Glees from the University of Buckingham noted that there have been multiple instances in modern history where submarines have sunk ships using torpedoes.

He highlighted the sinking of the General Belgrano by the British submarine HMS Conqueror in 1982, where 323 lives were lost. Glees expressed surprise at the lack of awareness displayed by US Secretary for War, Pete Hegseth, regarding significant historical events.

Glees further mentioned two other cases involving submarine torpedoes sinking ships, including an Israeli submarine sinking a Lebanese vessel in 1982 and a Pakistani submarine sinking an Indian frigate in 1971. He criticized Hegseth’s remarks for being insensitive towards the loss of lives during such incidents.

Glees emphasized that in his research on warfare, members of armed forces typically do not celebrate the deaths of adversaries but rather mourn the loss of fellow combatants. He condemned Hegseth’s attitude as repugnant and not reflective of the values of the US armed forces.