Today in History: World’s first combat submarine sinks
Horace Lawson Hunley developed the 12m submarine from a cylinder boiler.
On this day in 1863, the CSS Hunley, the world’s first successful combat submarine, sank during a test run, killing its inventor and seven crew members.
It was operated by a crew of eight – one person steered while the other seven turned a crank that drove the ship’s propeller. The Hunley could dive, but it required calm seas for safe operations.
It was tested successfully in Alabama’s Mobile Bay in the summer of 1863, and Confederate commander General Pierre GT Beauregard recognised that the vessel might be useful for ramming Union ships and breaking the blockade of Charleston Harbour. The Hunley was placed on a railcar and shipped to South Carolina.
The submarine experienced problems upon its arrival. During a test run, a crew member became entangled in part of the craft’s machinery and the craft dove with its hatch open. Only two men survived the accident. The craft was raised and repaired, but it was difficult to find another crew that was willing to take on the risk of operating the submarine.
Its inventor and namesake stepped forward to restore confidence in his creation. On 15 October, he took the submarine into Charleston Harbour for another test. In front of a crowd of spectators, the Hunley slipped below the surface and did not reappear. Horace Hunley and his entire crew perished.
Once again, the Hunley was raised. Another willing crew was assembled and the Hunley went back into the water. On 17 February 1864, the ship headed out of Charleston Harbour and approached the USS Housatanic. The Hunley stuck a torpedo into the Yankee ship and then backed away before the explosion. The Housatanic sank in shallow water, and the Hunley became the first submarine to sink a ship in battle.
However, its first successful mission was also its last—the Hunley sank before it returned to Charleston, taking yet another crew down with it. The vessel was raised in 2000, and is now on exhibit in Charleston.
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