Civil War Submarines Research Paper

During the Civil War, submarines technologically advanced. Using submarines was considered an elite and dangerous job (Katcher 45). Also in spring of 1861, unknown vessels were found by the Naval Services (Barney 309-11). Submarines were made almost illegal. The Southern side was under a Secret Service (Vert). The Confederates had no Navy (Weaver). The North considered them “infernal machines”. Most of the records of submarines were intentionally destroyed (Vert).

Submarines resembled a whale. They were also the “secret weapons in breaking the Union blockades” and were actually used in the 20th century (“The Hunley’s Daring Submarine Mission 150 years ago”). Submarines used air locks, electric motors, air purification systems, a periscope,
Hunley was an eight-man submarine that used levers and man-power to move the 30 by 5 by 4 foot submarine through the water. In the 3 versions of Hunley, 33 men have died. On February 17, 1864 (Barney 309-11), a “1240-ton steam-powered sloop-of-war with 12 cannons” was sunk by Hunley (“19th Century, American Civil War Mines and Torpedoes Introduction”). Lieutenant George E. Dixon used a spar torpedo and attached it to USS Housatonic (Weaver). When the torpedo detonated, 5 of the ship’s crew members died within the first five minutes (19th Century, American Civil War Mines and Torpedoes Introduction”). The USS Housatonic sinks stern first (Barney 309-11). “The captain and crew fired their rifles and shot guns in a futile attempt to halt the approaching vessel but the bullets merely bounced off Hunley’s armour as a spar torpedo mounted at the end of a 16-foot rod that protruded from the submarine’s bow struck the warship. The spar tore into Housatonic’s starboard quarter near its powder magazine and the rebel torpedo laden with 135 pounds of gunpowder exploded, Housatonic took on water immediately, and within minutes, it was a loss, the first warship to have ever been sunk by a submarine.”(“The Hunley’s Daring Submarine Mission 150 years