scoone
03-08-2004, 02:46 PM
Jorge Bañón Verdú, 07/04/2003
On the cold night of 17th February 1867, at the outside of the Port of Charleston, a small vessel quietly moves under de sea. Aboard eight men were ready to demonstrate the submarine’s potential as a warfare weapon.
A terrible fire flash broke the darkness of the night. The U.S.S. Housatonic, one of the Union Navy main ships, violently burnt and sunk killing five.
The H.L. Hunley and her crew, once completed their mission, ran away. However, never arrived to port.
The H.L. Hunley origins
The American Civil War had began six years before with hard and bloody combats among the Union Federal troops and the Southern Confederates. Despite of the better known war actions are the Army great battles, both sides Navies have a primary role on the war’s results.
The Union Navy, since the first war days, began a atrocious blockade of the Confederate ports in order to avoid the arrival of weapons and supplies. The blockade breackage became a main objective for the Confederates.
A planter, businessman and legislator born in Tennessee, Horace Lawson Hunley, had the idea that a submarine could be the definitive weapon to overcome the Union Navy imposed blockade on Southern ports. Toghether with other people, Hunley designed and built a submarine capable to perform these missions, the H.L. Hunley.
The submarine was designed from a cylindrical iron boiler. On both ends she had both ballast tanks which could be filled to dive or emptied to go surface. So far, she had additional iron ballasts which could be released by the crew in case of an emergency surface. The propeller was driven by a crankshaft handled manually by the crew. Two diving planes allow to go up and down, and a rudder mede her to turn.
The H.L. Hunley had a spar torpedo. This device required that the submarine was enough close to the target to impact in her hull. The torpedo tip remained stroken at her victim´s hull. Then the submarine sailed all astern until a rope that joined the submarine with the topedo armed the explosive charge. The submarine had few seconds to escape until the topedo explode.
The H.L. Hunley arrived to Charleston on 12th August 1863, after overcome the first trials.
Inmediately a crew composed by civilians was recruited and commanded by Lt. John A. Payne. On 29th August it was scheduled a trial. Something went wrong. The submarine remained at the bottom of the sea and five crewmen died.
Once recovered the submerine and crewmen remains, another trial was scheduled on 15th October. Then the crew recruited was more experienced and the commander was Horace Hunley. Once more the H.L. Hunley went to deep and nobody survived.
The submarine and crew bodies were rescued. The General Beauregards, Charleston City commander, appointed Army’s Lt. George E. Dixon as the new H.L. Hunley commander. Despite to be an infanteryman, Dixon was confident with the Hunley’s success and he convinced to Beauregard to perform a new trial.
After repairing, Dixon, within some difficulties, recruited a new crew and eigh men were at their stations aboard the H.L. Hunley.
The sinking of the U.S.S. Housatonic
The H.L. Hunley was close to the U.S.S. Housatonic side. The ship’s guard, despite the darkness, saw the small submarine, triggered the alarms and began to shot on her. It was too late. The H.L. Hunley stroke the spar in the ship’s hull and began to arm the explosive and to get away.
After some moments the U.S.S. Housatonic exploded and sunk.
The H.L. Hunley went to surface and made a signal to the troops deployed at the seashore. During the next 132 years there were no news from the submarine.
The H.L. Hunley recovery
On 1995 the H.L. Hunley remains were found and five years after were recovered.
Nowadays the H.L. Hunley lies on the Waren Lasch Conservation Center laboratories where an exhaustive archeological work is being done.
The crew remains will be buried with military honours on 17th April 2004 at the Magnolia Cemetery of Charleston, where lie the former crews remains.
The Lt. George E. Dixon and his crew sacrifice allow to demonstrate tha submarine’s capabilities as a weapon in which can be considered as the Submarine Navy First Victory.
http://www.submarinos.net/arts.cfm?IdArts=7
On the cold night of 17th February 1867, at the outside of the Port of Charleston, a small vessel quietly moves under de sea. Aboard eight men were ready to demonstrate the submarine’s potential as a warfare weapon.
A terrible fire flash broke the darkness of the night. The U.S.S. Housatonic, one of the Union Navy main ships, violently burnt and sunk killing five.
The H.L. Hunley and her crew, once completed their mission, ran away. However, never arrived to port.
The H.L. Hunley origins
The American Civil War had began six years before with hard and bloody combats among the Union Federal troops and the Southern Confederates. Despite of the better known war actions are the Army great battles, both sides Navies have a primary role on the war’s results.
The Union Navy, since the first war days, began a atrocious blockade of the Confederate ports in order to avoid the arrival of weapons and supplies. The blockade breackage became a main objective for the Confederates.
A planter, businessman and legislator born in Tennessee, Horace Lawson Hunley, had the idea that a submarine could be the definitive weapon to overcome the Union Navy imposed blockade on Southern ports. Toghether with other people, Hunley designed and built a submarine capable to perform these missions, the H.L. Hunley.
The submarine was designed from a cylindrical iron boiler. On both ends she had both ballast tanks which could be filled to dive or emptied to go surface. So far, she had additional iron ballasts which could be released by the crew in case of an emergency surface. The propeller was driven by a crankshaft handled manually by the crew. Two diving planes allow to go up and down, and a rudder mede her to turn.
The H.L. Hunley had a spar torpedo. This device required that the submarine was enough close to the target to impact in her hull. The torpedo tip remained stroken at her victim´s hull. Then the submarine sailed all astern until a rope that joined the submarine with the topedo armed the explosive charge. The submarine had few seconds to escape until the topedo explode.
The H.L. Hunley arrived to Charleston on 12th August 1863, after overcome the first trials.
Inmediately a crew composed by civilians was recruited and commanded by Lt. John A. Payne. On 29th August it was scheduled a trial. Something went wrong. The submarine remained at the bottom of the sea and five crewmen died.
Once recovered the submerine and crewmen remains, another trial was scheduled on 15th October. Then the crew recruited was more experienced and the commander was Horace Hunley. Once more the H.L. Hunley went to deep and nobody survived.
The submarine and crew bodies were rescued. The General Beauregards, Charleston City commander, appointed Army’s Lt. George E. Dixon as the new H.L. Hunley commander. Despite to be an infanteryman, Dixon was confident with the Hunley’s success and he convinced to Beauregard to perform a new trial.
After repairing, Dixon, within some difficulties, recruited a new crew and eigh men were at their stations aboard the H.L. Hunley.
The sinking of the U.S.S. Housatonic
The H.L. Hunley was close to the U.S.S. Housatonic side. The ship’s guard, despite the darkness, saw the small submarine, triggered the alarms and began to shot on her. It was too late. The H.L. Hunley stroke the spar in the ship’s hull and began to arm the explosive and to get away.
After some moments the U.S.S. Housatonic exploded and sunk.
The H.L. Hunley went to surface and made a signal to the troops deployed at the seashore. During the next 132 years there were no news from the submarine.
The H.L. Hunley recovery
On 1995 the H.L. Hunley remains were found and five years after were recovered.
Nowadays the H.L. Hunley lies on the Waren Lasch Conservation Center laboratories where an exhaustive archeological work is being done.
The crew remains will be buried with military honours on 17th April 2004 at the Magnolia Cemetery of Charleston, where lie the former crews remains.
The Lt. George E. Dixon and his crew sacrifice allow to demonstrate tha submarine’s capabilities as a weapon in which can be considered as the Submarine Navy First Victory.
http://www.submarinos.net/arts.cfm?IdArts=7