American Civil War: Submarines
The U.S. made its next significant attempt at submarine warfare during the Civil War (1861–65). Faced with the Union Navy's superior strength and a blockade of Southern ports, the Confederate States turned to unconventional methods, including submarines, to gain an edge.
The Confederate Submarines
- The Pioneer
- Built in 1862 and financed by Horace L. Hunley of Mobile, Alabama, the Pioneer was a 34-foot-long submarine powered by a hand-cranked propeller operated by three men.
- Records conflict on its fate: it was either scuttled to prevent capture when Union forces occupied New Orleans or lost with all hands during a dive while en route to attack Union ships.
- The Advanced Iron Submarine
- This second submarine, also designed by the same builders, was an ambitious 25-foot iron vessel intended to be powered by a battery and electric motors.
- When no suitable motors were found, it reverted to a hand-cranked propeller powered by four men. The craft ultimately sank in heavy seas off Mobile Bay, though no lives were lost.
- The H.L. Hunley
- The third Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley, was a modified iron boiler, lengthened to 36–40 feet.
- Equipped with ballast tanks and a weight system for submersion, it could reach speeds of 4 mph with its propeller cranked by eight men.
- Initially armed with a towed "torpedo" (a 90-pound explosive charge on a 200-foot line), it later employed a spar-mounted torpedo for attacks.
Disasters and Final Mission
- After a successful test against a barge, the Hunley was relocated to Charleston, South Carolina.
- It suffered three sinkings during testing, claiming numerous crew members, including Hunley himself.
- On February 17, 1864, the Hunley executed a historic mission, attacking the Union warship Housatonic in Charleston Harbor.
- Its spar-mounted torpedo detonated the ship's magazines, sinking the Housatonic in shallow water and killing five crew members.
- However, the Hunley was also destroyed in the explosion, killing its crew.
Other Submarine Innovations
During the same period, Wilhelm Bauer, a Bavarian artillery officer, achieved notable submarine developments:
- Le Plongeur-Marin (1851)
- This submarine sank in Kiel Harbor on February 1, 1851, but Bauer and two assistants escaped from a depth of 60 feet after being submerged for five hours.
- Le Diable-Marin (1855)
- Built for the Russian government, this craft was successful and completed 134 dives before being lost at sea.
- In September 1856, during Tsar Alexander II’s coronation, Bauer submerged his submarine in Kronshtadt Harbor with musicians on board. Their underwater rendition of the Russian national anthem was clearly heard by people in nearby ships.
The Civil War marked a pivotal moment in the history of submarines, demonstrating both the potential and the peril of underwater warfare. These early designs laid the groundwork for the advanced submarines of the modern era.
