The H. L. Hunley
The H. L. Hunley is the first submerged vessel to sink a ship. It was a Confederate attack on the blockade of Charleston Harbor. The Hunley was a hand powered vessel with a crew of eight. Seven men tuned the crank that powered the sub. One man controlled the steering. A "torpedo" was attached to a six-foot wooden boom at the bow (front) of the boat.The Hunley snuck up on one of the blockading ships. Someone on the ship spotted something strange approaching. The alarm was raised and the ship started to get under way. Before it got very far, the Hunley attached the torpedo to the side of the ship and started to back away. When the torpedo exploded, the ship sank quickly. Sadly the explosion also cracked the hull of the Hunley and it too sank. All hands were lost.
The wreck was found in 1995 and rasied in 2000. The remains of the soldiers were given a full Confederate funeral. 10,000 Civil War re-enacters and mouners led the parade to the cemetary in wool uniforms and heavy costumes over several miles on a hot humid day.
A model of the Hunley stands outside the Charleston Museum. The remains of the real thing are at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center.
posted by Greg @ 7:54 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
You forgot to mention that it was found and raised by NUMA, the undersea recovery agency created by Clive Cussler, who is best known for the Dirk Pitt novels (one of which was recently adapted into the film, Sahara).
You can read about their recovery of the Hunley and even see photos and video of it here.
Hey! The Hunley made the news last week. Apparently the front hatch was unlocked when it was found, so they're wondering if it was opened from the inside.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2194592&page=1
Very nice site! » » »
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