What sank the CSS Hunley?

On February 17, 1864, the H.L. Hunley sank from an explosion shortly after it plunged a live torpedo into the hull of the Union warship USS Housatonic.

How did the CSS Hunley work?

The Hunley was initially designed to dive completely below her target while towing behind a floating torpedo on a 200-foot tether. Once the submarine dove and passed under the keel of her target, the torpedo would impact its hull on the other side, in theory causing a devastating explosion that would sink the ship.

Where is the CSS Hunley now?

North Charleston
The Confederate submarine was discovered 4 miles off the coast of Sullivan’s Island in 1995 after spending more than a century lost on the ocean floor. Today it resides on the campus of Clemson University’s Restoration Institute at 1250 Supply St. in North Charleston.

Were there bodies found in the Hunley?

Crew Remains: Archaeologists excavating the Hunley after its recovery in 2000 found the crewmembers’ remains were largely found at their stations, with no sign of panic or desperate attempts to escape the submarine.

What caused the Hunley to sink in 1864?

On February 17, 1864, the ship headed out of Charleston Harbor and approached the U.S.S. Housatonic. The Hunley struck a torpedo into the Yankee ship and then backed away before the explosion. The Housatonic sank in shallow water, and the Hunley became the first submarine to sink a ship in battle.

What killed the crew of the Hunley?

The Hunley itself later sank, with its crew of eight aboard. According to research led by Rachel Lance, who studied the incident during her Ph. D. in biomedical engineering at Duke University, the crew were killed by massive lung and brain injuries caused indirectly by their own torpedo.

How many times did the Hunley sink?

Hunley was a Confederate submarine with a crew of eight. But despite its claim to fame, it was a dangerous vessel to be inside. In a career of just eight months during the Civil War, between July 1863 and February 1864, the sub sank three times, killing nearly 30 men—including its inventor.

Is the Hunley on display?

Hunley, nearly 40 ft (12 m) long, was built at Mobile, Alabama, and launched in July 1863. Finally located in 1995, Hunley was raised in 2000, and is on display in North Charleston, South Carolina, at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center on the Cooper River.

How did the Hunley change naval warfare?

Hunley recognized the importance of breaking the Union blockade and keeping supply lines open to the South. The small band of Confederates began work on a new approach to naval warfare, one that took the fight below the water’s surface. This quest became a process of innovation and evolution.

What was the Hunley’s weapon?

The Hunley’s torpedo was not a self-propelled bomb, as we think of them now. Rather, it was a copper keg of gunpowder held ahead and slightly below the Hunley’s bow on a 16-foot pole called a spar. The sub rammed this spar into the enemy ship’s hull and the bomb exploded.

Did the Hunley sink a ship?

What killed the Hunley crew?

On 15 October 1863, Hunley failed to surface after a mock attack, killing all eight crewmen. Among these was Hunley himself, who had joined the crew for the exercise and possibly had taken over command from Dixon, for the attack maneuver.