I know the numbers correlate the point is that only the fact they do is relevant not the number itself As the number of Khan s crew is never mentioned neither in the film prior to the surrender nor in the Wikipedia plot summary at any point the actual number is completely irrelevant We know that Khan knew what was in the torpedoes and that s why he surrendered The mechanism of this deduction is irrelevant especially as the number is not later used as a major plot point the contents are but not the number itself