World’s first submarine attack

history ^ | 9/7/21

[mylife]

On September 7, 1776, during the Revolutionary War, the American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship Eagle in New York Harbor. It was the first use of a submarine in warfare.

Donated to the Patriot cause after the outbreak of war with Britain in 1775, Ezra Lee piloted the craft unnoticed out to the 64-gun HMS Eagle in New York Harbor on September 7, 1776. As Lee worked to anchor a time bomb to the hull, he could see British seamen on the deck above, but they failed to notice the strange craft below the surface. Lee had almost secured the bomb when his boring tools failed to penetrate a layer of iron sheathing. He retreated, and the bomb exploded nearby, causing no harm to either the Eagle or the Turtle.

During the next week, the Turtle made several more attempts to sink British ships on the Hudson River, but each time it failed, owing to the operator’s lack of skill. Only Bushnell was really able to competently execute the submarine’s complicated functions, but because of his physical frailty he was unable to pilot the Turtle in any of its combat missions. During the Battle of Fort Lee, the Turtle was lost when the American sloop transporting it was sunk by the British.

[BipolarBob]

I saw what you did there.

[rlmorel]

Good God, having a pint with Rogers would be like doing that cross-glass drinking thing cheek to cheek with a rattlesnake! And a rattlesnake with no rattle!

As for Simcoe...yep. We all waited for that episode we knew had to come someday, yet...like Michael Meyers of Halloween goalie mask fame...he somehow kept springing back to life and sitting up in the background!

I will buy the entire series someday...very well done.

[Batman11]

PFL

[rlmorel]

Heh, I always remember Robin Williams in one of his early post-television live shows, talking about that in his routine...

“You know what they always say about a man with big hands and big feet...big gloves and big shoes!”

[The_Media_never_lie]

Might have been successful had he used interesting tools.

[Farmerbob]

Like George Burns.

[MuttTheHoople]

If I were a descendant of Simcoe, I’d sue Turn. Simcoe was a very good commander, one of the few who respected his Loyalist troops. When he was Governor in Canada, he freed the slaves.

They made him the baddie in this, because...stuff.

[jmacusa]

There ya go Laz. Now for me I’d like to have two girls at 21 each than one at 42.

[NonValueAdded]

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list.

Turtle ping

Please FreepMail me if you want to be added to or removed from this low volume ping list. Ping requests gladly accepted.

Recessional of the Sons of the American Revolution:

“Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to our
forefathers who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
an independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.”

Dr. Benjamin Franklin, when asked if we had a republic or a monarchy, replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."
Were we ever as close to losing it as we are now?

[jmacusa]

LOL! Say good night Gracie.

[jmacusa]

HA!

[White Lives Matter]

Ingenious! He used Phosphorescent Moss to illuminate the interior instead of a candle that would have used up his oxygen.

[Richard Axtell]

“Run Silent, Run Deep”, was great to see again. I watched it the first time since the early 60’s recently. Has anyone made a film, TV movie, or documentary about the “Turtle”?

I remember seeing a TV movie about the “Hunley” which was found a few years ago in Mobile Bay, another American, albeit Confederate, innovation in submarine warfare. All very interesting.

[outofsalt]

"By the mid-19th century steam engines had been fitted in some wooden ships of the line. But the Royal Navy was shocked when, in 1858, the French started building La Gloire. This was the first armour-hulled ship. However, because French industry could not make an iron hull, the Gloire had to be built of wood protected by 11 cm (4.5 in) of iron. Iron cladding the wooden British fleet was the simplest way of responding to this French challenge. However, Sir John Pakingham, the First Lord of the Admiralty, supported the idea of a completely iron hull. So, the Warrior was ordered in June 1859."

Iron rusted so copper sheathing the iron was tried, however galvanic interaction between the metals was even worse. They then tried wooden planking between the iron and the copper. The link above is very informative.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Or he could have waited until Sylvia Plath and Maya Angelou came around, read it some of their works, and the ship would kill itself.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Almost forgot. To all young Freepers and lurkers out there, if a girl mentions reading Sylvia Plath run like hell. She is the exact opposite of a keeper.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Worked up there.

And last visited museum in 2015. They had doubled its size since I lived there and our son loved the control room hands-on. I do miss walking thru the concentric rings for the ship sizes, tho.

[one guy in new jersey]

Frankmatank

[central_va]

Burt Reynolds?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

My understanding was that 1700s sailing ships were cased in copper to prevent damage caused by the Teredo worms.

Also, British ships off the Vancouver isles had to post guards as the native Indians would swim out and pry off the copper plates to use in some of their art and rituals.