First Submarine

The CSA Hunley was the world's first submarine to sink another ship. Put together in Mobile Alabama it sank two small ships by dragging torpedo along behind it. It was hoped that this new secret weapon could help break the Union strangle hold on the shipping of the south.

Moved to Charleston to help put an end to the siege there it was put in the water and promptly sank, killing all its crew. It was pulled over by its guide ship.

It was pulled back up, recrewed, and then sank again, killing its second crew and the fellow who invented it. They think a faulty hatch caused this one.

It was pulled up a second time and managed to stay in good working order. However a change was made to its delivery system, a long boom was added, to which a heavy charge was attached. The idea being the Hunley would ram its victim, blow a hole in it and pull back.

It worked, to a degree. The Hunley rammed its boom into the Housatonic, blasting a hole in it so large it sank within minutes. The Hunley however was never seen again, presumably pulled under the water with the ship she killed.

Though it failed to break the blockade, it spooked the the Union navy into pulling back.

Found in 1995 , for the first time, her clean hull is revealed....