CSS Hunley
Confederate Submarine First to Sink a Ship in Combat
The C.S.S. Hunley was built by a group of Southern machinists and businessmen, who wished to break the Union naval blockade that was slowly destroying the Confederate economy. The South could not get enough vital war supplies imported, nor could it sell its cotton overseas. Blockade runners—swift Confederate ships that managed to evade Union warships—grew less effective as the blockade tightened. Something new, and entirely novel, was needed. Perhaps a submarine might break the Union blockade
Engineers James McClintock and Baxter Watson helped build the Hunley, which was constructed in Mobile, Alabama in the spring of 1862. Lawyer C.L. Hunley and several others helped bankroll the project
Description of the C.S.S. Hunley
It was once thought that the Hunley was a crude vessel. Some stories said that it was made out of an old boiler. When the sub was raised in 2000, researchers found that it was purposely built, not assembled hodgepodge from old boilers. In fact, it was (for the 1860s) quite sophisticated in design.
The chief method of “modern” propulsion in the 1860s was steam. This was impossible for a submarine, so the propeller would be hand-cranked by a crew of seven. An eighth crewmember would pilot and “captain” the boat. Its length was almost 40 feet, its beam 3 feet, 10 inches. It was long, and generally “cigar” shaped. Each end featured ballast tanks that could be flooded with valves, or emptied by a hand pump. The boat featured two watertight hatches, one forward and one aft, with two conning towers with small portholes.
The hatches were very small and difficult to enter and exit. It was not a promising feature, especially if there was an emergency and the crew might have to abandon ship quickly. Armament was provided by a spar torpedo— essentially a barrel of gunpowder that was attached to the sub by means of a long 22-foot pole attached to the prow. It was designed to be used when the submarine was submerged about six feet below the surface. The spar would “spear” an enemy ship’s hull below the waterline. Then, the pilot/captain would back away, playing out the line that was connected to the torpedo. When at a safe distance, the pilot/.captain would detonate the “torpedo” against the hull, and the enemy would sink. That, at least was the theory.
Again, researchers have found a degree of sophistication. Researchers found a spool of copper wire and the elements of a battery on Hunley. The explosive might have been electrically detonated.
The First and Second Crews of the Hunley
After some preliminary testing in Mobile, Alabama the Hunley was shipped to Charleston by rail at the express request of General P.G.T. Beauregard. But on August 29, 1863, the skipper of the Hunley, Lieutenant Payne, accidently stepped on the lever that controlled the diving planes. The sub went into a steep dive, but unfortunately the hatches were open and water flooded in. Five of the eight-man crew were drowned. A second volunteer crew was assembled, but during a mock attack run the boat once again foundered. This time all eight crewmembers perished, including H. L. Hunley himself.
Hunley’s Third Crew and the Successful Attack on the U.S.S. Housatonic
Another group of volunteers came forward to form a third crew. Given the fates of the previous crews, volunteering for service aboard Hunley showed a courage above and beyond the call of duty. The men were led by Lieutenant George E. Dixon. While they prepared for their mission, they set an underwater endurance record for that time. The Hunley was set on the bottom of Charleston harbor, and the men waited to see how long the oxygen—and their stamina-- would last. The men stuck it out for two hours and 35 minutes, an amazing feat. They continued to stay down even when their only light—a candle—was snuffed out from lack of oxygen.
The Hunley set out on its first war mission on the evening of February 17, 1864. Its target was the USS sloop of war Housatonic, mounting twelve guns. The attack was successful, and Houstonic went to the bottom. Unfortunately, the Hunley never returned to base, and its location was unknown. But in 1995 the submarine was found, and in 2000 was recovered and brought to the surface.
The Fate of the Hunley
There are several theories as to why the Hunley sank. The remains of all eight crewmembers were found in their stations—there was no attempt to escape. The latest theory suggests lack of oxygen.
Sources:
Tom Chaffin, The H.L. Hunley: Secret Hope of the Confederacy (Hill and Wang, 2008)
C.S.S Hunley
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