Again, you hear a lot about the Confederacy's Hunley submarine, but very little about this one.
According to Wikipedia, it was 30 feet long and 6 or 8 feet in diameter. It's construction was supervised by Brutus DeVilleroi. Originally powered by oars, but in July 1862, the Navy replaced them with a hand crank.
The vessel was launched May 1862 and accepted into service in June. It was to be used against a bridge at Swift Creek, a tributary of the Appomattox River, and also to clear obstructions at Fort Darling on the James River, but it never happened.
The Union sinker of ships, Thomas O. Selfridge was given command and a naval crew assigned to it. After tests, Selfridge declared it a complete failure.
In April 1863, it was being towed to Charleston by the USS Sumpter, but sank off Cape Hatteras.
WOULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING
That would have been something if the Alligator had engaged the Hunley. The first battle of the submarines.
IT'S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE
The hunt for the Alligator "The US Navy's First Submarine" has a website at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/alligator/. A search was made in 2005 for several days, but the submarine wasn't found. They'll be back to look.
Here a Sub, there a Sub. --B-Runner
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
