The November class submarines had a streamlined torpedo-like hull with an anti-sonar coating. This was the first time such a coating was used on a nuclear-powered submarine. The class also had special low-noise variable-pitch propellers and vibration dampening of main equipment. Despite these features, the November class was considerably noisier than diesel submarines and the early American nuclear-powered submarines. 

The November class was comprised of 14 boats, with K-3 (later renamed Leninskiy Komsomol) the first to be commissioned on June 4, 1958 and the sole Project 627 class boat. K-3 was the first Soviet submarine to reach the North Pole in July 1962, four years after USS Nautilus. The submarines of the November class were in service from 1958 to 1990, with several suffering accidents during their service careers.

K-3 suffered an accident on September 8, 1967 while the submarine was returning home from a patrol mission in the Mediterranean Sea. A hydraulic system fire broke out which resulted in 39 sailors dying due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

K-8 sank on April 12, 1970 in the Bay of Biscay while returning from a patrol and participation in a large-scale naval exercise and was the first loss of a Soviet nuclear-powered submarine. While at a depth of approximately 395 feet (120 meters), short circuits occurred in two of the subs compartments which caused a fire in the air-conditioning system. The sub was able to surface to undergo damage control but became flooded due to stormy conditions. The loss of life due to the fire and sinking totaled 52 including the commander, but 73 crew were rescued. K-8 sank with four nuclear torpedoes on board.

In February 1965, a fire broke out while refueling both reactors on K-11 with 7 men exposed to radiation. On May 24, 1968, an emergency occurred in the port-side reactor of K-27 during submerged trials in the Barents Sea. There was a radiation leak in the reactor compartment and radioactive gas spread throughout the submarine. The captain at first did not believe that there was an issue, failed to do anything about for a period of time and didn’t sound the radiation alarm until the ship’s doctor and a chemical officer requested it. This inaction resulted in all 124 crewmembers becoming irradiated with more than 30 dying from the exposure between 1968 and 2003.

All but one of the submarines have been disposed of. On August 30, 2003, K-159 sank during a storm while being towed to a shipyard for scrapping. Nine sailors died in the accident. Only K-3 remains, and her nuclear reactors were removed for plans to preserve her as a museum ship in Saint Petersburg.