Posted on 01/30/2015 12:59:21 PM PST by Reverend Saltine
After 15 years of painstaking restoration, scientists say they are on the brink of solving what sank the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley - the first sub in history to wreck an enemy warship. Considered the Confederacy's stealth weapon during the Civil War, the hand-cranked Hunley sank the Union warship Housatonic in winter 1864 and then disappeared with all eight Confederate sailors inside. Its remains were discovered in 1995 in waters off South Carolina and five later it was raised to a conservation lab. Now with about 70per cent of the hull cleaned of heavy rust, Paul Mardikian, a senior conservator on the Hunley project, says that crucial clues have been unearthed but 'it's too early to talk about it yet.'
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Hunley actually had a basic snorkel system (two pipes thad could be rotated vertical, positioned behind the conning tower). But these could only be used if the sub was just below the waters surface.
Based on the presumed attack profile, the snorkel could have been used. I can’t recall (after three visits to the conservation center in Charleston over the years) whether the snorkel pipes were raised or not when the Hunley was found.
The Confederates built 4 submarines during the CW.
Pioneer - Scuttled by the Confederates in New Orleans, raised by the Federals for examination and later sold for scrap.
Bayou St. John Confederate Submarine - Currently on display at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge. I saw it in 1976 on display at the Louisiana Museum on Jackson Square, NO.
American Diver - It was lost in a storm in Mobile Bay, AL.
H. L. Hunley - Currently under restoration in North Charleston, SC. I saw it in 2007 in the Warren Lasch Conservatory.
At Moblie bay two subs—The CSS Patrick Henry and the CSS Captian Sterling—one MAY have sunk a Monitor in the battle—was lost when her engine blew up. (used steam-—stocked hot air to travel underwater). Is this a rumor or a fact?
Fascinating. Thank you.
Or did only the CSA come up with the idea?
;’)
No cannons were fired, only small arms, although tests on a reproduction show that the tower could have been cracked by minie balls. But what’s interesting is that the evidence shows all the men died in their positions, and you’d think there would have been a scramble inside if it was filling with water. People simply don’t remain in their seats in that situation. More likely is that either the shockwave knocked them all out and the top hatch let in water or that they ran out of air and passed out, then sank to the bottom
First I have heard of these 2 specific names. One of the 2 Confederate subs developed in New Orleans was called the Pioneer. It was scuttled by the Confederates and raised by the Federals, then sold for scrap.
The Pioneer II saw service in Mobile Bay but was eventually lost in a storm. I have not read any history that it actually engaged a Federal ship in combat.
H.L. Hunley was the financial backer of the Pioneer (New Orleans), Pioneer II (Mobile) , and H.L. Hunley (Charleston). From looking at the drawings of the time, you can see the engineering progression.
My understanding is that all of the Confederate submarines were manually operated.
Now, there was a CNS class of semi-submersible torpedo boats called "David" and they were equipped with a steam engine. One was named the CSS Saint Patrick. On October 5, 1863, the CSS David undertook a partially successful attack on the USS New Ironsides, then participating in the blockade of Charleston, SC.
drawing of a David class torpedo boat
Wreck of a David torpedo boat in Charleston, SC, 1865
The idea may have originated in France, but of course there is the Revolutionary War record of the American Turtle.
I first learned of a Federal CW-era submarine at the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus (GA) when I toured it in 2007. It was called the Alligator and was initially designed with hand-operated oars which failed in sea trials. She was re-designed with a hand-cranked screw, much like the H.L. Hunley, and was ordered into service to help with the blockade of Charleston, SC. While under tow to Charleston, she was lost in a storm off Cape Hatteras, NC, much like the U.S.S. Monitor.
There was also two cranked subs in Shrevport LA and Texas? galveston I believe. Rumors of more out there. An interesting subject.
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