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CSA C.S.S. HUNLEY SUBMARINE


ken1224
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Hi Kat,

I'll give a watch. I know you are a member of the "Hunley Society". :thumbsup:

 

JS,

 

I have been a member of the "Friends of the Hunley" since it was first founded. We get quarterly newsletters. I got one in the mail yesterday about this show and about how they turned The Hunley upright. It is so interesting to me. The sub was much more technologically advanced than they ever believed. In the newsletter, they showed a picture of the sub from the bow looking down the length of the sub. I could not get over how skinny it was. It is truly amazing what they accomplished in such a tiny sub.

 

....Kat

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A very good documentary.........EXCELLENT.!!

 

JS,

 

I agree! I thought it was very well done. Personally, I don't think a lucky gun shot sank the sub. The idea of the anchor seems plausible but I also don't believe the hatch was left open. As they said at the end, the fact that everyone was found exactly at their stations, seems more like they ran out of oxygen. If water had been pouring in the sub, the crew would have been found near the hatch. I don't know if we will ever know exactly what happened to the crew.

 

I was fascinated to see everything they found inside the sub. The fact that they could find tiny matchsticks in all of that sediment was amazing. I hope once the restoration is complete they will put all of the artifacts on display.

 

...Kat

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....... Personally, I don't think a lucky gun shot sank the sub. The idea of the anchor seems plausible but I also don't believe the hatch was left open. As they said at the end, the fact that everyone was found exactly at their stations, seems more like they ran out of oxygen.......

I hope once the restoration is complete they will put all of the artifacts on display.

...Kat

Agreed.........Gun shot possible, Anchor plausible, Hatch was closed, (as found) , Suffocation....definitely.

 

Kat....we've solved the mystery!!

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Agreed.........Gun shot possible, Anchor plausible, Hatch was closed, (as found) , Suffocation....definitely.

 

Kat....we've solved the mystery!!

 

They need to be paying us the big bucks! :lol:

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  • 3 months later...

What a wonderful piece of work! I recall the discovery and extraction of the sub, but I wasn't ready for this. ABSOLUTELY a great piecec of work and history !! :thumbsup:

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  • 4 weeks later...

some pics recently appeared on the italian edition of National Geographic magazine.This submarine had a crew of 7 sailors + commander,the 7 sailors were the "engine" of the submarine,while the commander drove it.shortly after its first succesful mission during the Civil war the submarine sank ,although the reasons of its loss are still unclear.The interior was a torture chamber small and cramped,the submarine interior was 122 cm high (4 ft) and 61 cm wide (2 Ft).

post-2571-1328651251.jpg

post-2571-1328651398.jpg

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The first submarine was the Turtle, used to attack the HMS Eagle which was blockading New York harbor on Sept. 7th 1776.

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I think the Hunley was the first submarine credited with sinking a warship with a spar torpedo.

 

But yes, there were previous submarines even during the Civil War. The Union apparently used them less as an attack vessel and more for diving and obstacle clearance from what I have read.

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I think the Hunley was the first submarine credited with sinking a warship with a spar torpedo.

 

You are correct. To quote from their website:

 

"The Hunley's historic journey when she became the first successful combat submarine in world history on February 17, 1864. "

 

To read more about the Hunley visit their website

 

http://www.hunley.org/

 

I also encourage you to read books about The Hunley. The Hunley sank twice and was recovered twice before the sinking of

the USS Housatonic. The fact that crews kept volunteering after the previous sinkings is amazing just by itself.

 

Thanks, Kat

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Must've been hell in there! Brave sailors for sure.

 

Ian,

 

I have visited the Hunley several times. I have not been there since they turned it upright.

The replica used in the making of the TNT movie about The Hunley is in the museum. The actual

sub is even smaller than the replica. You have NO IDEA how small the submarine is. I am 5'8" tall

and I could not get my legs under the crank in the replica. And to think that the actual sub is more

than a foot smaller in size is amazing!

 

They have reconstructed the faces of the crew which are on display at the museum. It is amazing

to be able to see the faces. Anyone close to Charleston should visit.

 

....Kat

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Ian,

 

I have visited the Hunley several times. I have not been there since they turned it upright.

The replica used in the making of the TNT movie about The Hunley is in the museum. The actual

sub is even smaller than the replica. You have NO IDEA how small the submarine is. I am 5'8" tall

and I could not get my legs under the crank in the replica. And to think that the actual sub is more

than a foot smaller in size is amazing!

 

They have reconstructed the faces of the crew which are on display at the museum. It is amazing

to be able to see the faces. Anyone close to Charleston should visit.

 

....Kat

 

Hi Kat,

 

Fascinating! When you say they "reconstructed the faces" do you mean they used the remains found with the Hunley to do forensic reconstructions? :think:

 

Ian

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Hi Kat,

 

Fascinating! When you say they "reconstructed the faces" do you mean they used the remains found with the Hunley to do forensic reconstructions? :think:

 

Ian

 

Ian,

 

Yes they did! They reconstructed the faces from the remains. They also used the artifacts found around the remains to help.

For instance, the teeth on one of the soldiers was ground down in such a way that a pipe would have been held in his teeth

for a long time. They did find a pipe near the remains. It is very interesting to read about their findings. Both about the

technological advances on the sub as well as findings about the crew.

 

....Kat

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  • 2 weeks later...

Today is the anniversary of the historic mission of The Hunley. Here is a great article about a WWII submariner from the U.K. who sends a poppy wreath to be placed on the grave of the 3rd Hunley crew.

 

Excerpt from The Post and Courier:

 

"The date of this modest ceremony marks the anniversary of the first successful submarine attack in history, when the Hunley sank the USS Housatonic off Sullivan's Island in the darkest days of the Civil War. Many locals know the story by heart, but few probably realize what an international story the Hunley has become. The poppy wreath, for instance, is a tip of the hat by a group of submariners from across the pond.

These men consider the crew of the Confederate submarine to be the pioneers of their field, their professional ancestors. The man who sends the wreath is Les Hanks, a World War II submarine veteran and chairman of the Portsmouth U.K. branch of the Submariners Association.

The guys in his branch call him the "Ancient Mariner" -- a nickname he wears proudly, noting that he's in his 87th year. Hanks says he's not alone in his enthusiasm for the first chapter in Charleston's storied submarine history. "

 

The entire article:

 

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/fe...-to-the-hunley/

 

Thank you to our friends across the pond! :thumbsup: :salute:

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  • 2 years later...

Today is the 150th anniversary of the historic mission of the Confederate submarine, The Hunley. If you have not read or seen anything about The Hunley, I encourage you to visit the Friends of the Hunley website to learn more. It really was a historic mission.

 

http://www.hunley.org/

 

 

...Kat

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