On the 17th of February 1864, during the American Civil War, the H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to engage and sink a warship, the USS Housatonic. Having been commissioned in the Royal Naval Resrerve, I have immense respect for submariners. I posted very recently about the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, but don’t think I’ve touched on submarines before.
The H.L. Hunley was a Confederate submarine that became the first submarine to sink an enemy warship during combat. Built during the American Civil War, the Hunley was a pioneering yet tragic vessel, as it sank multiple times, including during its successful mission. Its legacy continues today as a crucial milestone in naval warfare.
The H.L. Hunley was named after its chief financier, Horace Lawson Hunley, a wealthy New Orleans lawyer and businessman. Built in 1863 in Mobile, Alabama, the submarine was intended to break the Union blockade of Southern ports. The Union Navy had imposed this blockade to cut off the Confederacy’s supplies and cripple its economy. Traditional Confederate naval forces struggled to challenge Union warships, leading to the development of innovative solutions like torpedo boats and submarines.
Designed by engineers James McClintock and Baxter Watson, the Hunley was about 40 feet long and 4 feet in diameter, making it a small but stealthy vessel. It was powered by a hand-cranked propeller, requiring a crew of eight men to turn it. The hull was constructed from iron, and it had ballast tanks that could be filled with or emptied of water to control buoyancy. The submarine lacked any periscope, meaning that crews had to rely on small viewing ports and candlelight for visibility.
Although revolutionary, the Hunley faced several setbacks. In August 1863, during early testing, the submarine accidentally dived with its hatches open, drowning five crew members. Shortly afterward, it sank again, this time claiming the life of Horace Hunley himself. Despite these disasters, the Confederate Navy recovered the vessel and continued testing, believing in its potential.
By early 1864, the Hunley was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, under the command of Lieutenant George E. Dixon. Its target was the USS Housatonic, a Union sloop-of-war that was enforcing the blockade off Charleston Harbor.
The Hunley carried a spar torpedo, an explosive device attached to a long pole extending from its bow. The plan was for the submarine to ram the torpedo into the enemy ship, then back away before detonation. On the night of 17th February 1864, the Hunley set out for its fateful mission. Moving stealthily through the water, it successfully struck the Housatonic with its torpedo, which exploded upon impact. The Union ship sank in less than five minutes, marking the first time in history that a submarine had successfully destroyed an enemy warship.
Despite its success, the Hunley never returned to port. The exact cause of its disappearance remained a mystery for more than a century. Some theories suggested it was sunk by the explosion’s shockwave, while others proposed it was swamped by waves or ran out of air. All eight crew members perished, making the victory bittersweet.
The wreck of the H.L. Hunley remained lost until 1995, when a team led by author and explorer Clive Cussler discovered it buried under layers of silt off the coast of Charleston. In 2000, the submarine was raised from the ocean floor and transported to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston for preservation and study.
Upon examination, the Hunley was remarkably well preserved, with skeletal remains of the crew found at their stations, suggesting they did not attempt to escape. No signs of severe damage were visible, leading researchers to believe that a lack of oxygen or an explosion shockwave probably caused their deaths.
The H.L. Hunley remains one of the most significant advancements in naval warfare. Its pioneering design paved the way for future submarines, despite its tragic fate. The recovered vessel is now on display in Charleston, South Carolina, where researchers continue to study it.
Study the illustration carefully and you will note that whilst AI generated images are fairly good, they still leave a lot to be desired.