Mystery of how H.L. Hunley's crew died is solved after 150 years

UK Daily Mail ^ | 08/23/2017 | Tim Collins

[DFG]

The first combat submarine to sink an enemy ship also instantly killed its own eight-man crew with the powerful explosive torpedo it carried, new research has found. The HL Hunley fought for the confederacy in the US civil war and was sunk near North Charleston, South Carolina, in 1864. Speculation about the crew's deaths has included suffocation and drowning, but a new study claims that a shockwave created by their own weapon was to blame.

[CrazyIvan]

Would a sub take the blast better from bow or stern? I remember one of the subs in the area of the Kursk blast hardly noticed it because they were pointing directly at it. (Granted not a nuke)

[Nifster]

At least it was quick

[Joe Boucher]

There is an incredible ongoing reclamation project underway on the Hunley in Charleston.
Ii is well worth everyones time to visit while in the great city

[wally_bert]

I went to see it years ago in a chemical tank.

Talk about tiny.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

The Hunley was a CONFEDERATE sub! Confederate=BAD!

Destroy! destroy! Kill it! Kill it!

Meanwhile, statues to the racist Sherman still stand proud.
https://www.theatlantic.com/personal/archive/2010/06/uncle-billys-racism/57886/

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Did you turn in your brass at the end of your shift?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Wasn’t THE TURTLE built in the Revolutionary war?

[Skooz]

I recently saw a life size replica of the Hunley. I imagined getting in that thing, going under water and hunting for ships.

I shuddered. I lack that kind of courage. It’s amazing anyone is that brave.

[shotgun]

Yep. I actually worked on a couple of projects where we actually had brass coins until they went to picture badges.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Even earlier, back in the Revolutionary War:

Wiki: "Turtle (also called American Turtle) was the world's first submersible with a documented record of use in combat. It was built in 1775 by American David Bushnell as a means of attaching explosive charges to ships in a harbor. Bushnell designed her for use against British Royal Navy vessels occupying North American harbors during the American Revolutionary War. Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull recommended the invention to George Washington; although the commander-in-chief had doubts, he provided funds and support for the development and testing of the machine."

[Covenantor]

Yes, the Turtle was a Revolutionary submersible.

See post 50 for more info.

I was only responding to Ben Lurking’s memory of early French efforts. Of course they had to hire the American scientist/engineer Robert Fulton.

[TXnMA]

"My inclination would have been to tow the package behind me with enough buoyancy that, even when I went under the hull, the explosives would stay afloat and impact the ship (with the hull shielding me from the direct blast)"

~~~~~~~~

That was how they tried to do it at first. However, tides and currents caused the floating torpedo to catch up with them and nearly blew them up.

I hosted a research forum on how the torpedo was deployed -- before any attempt was made to raise Hunley. We predicted that the torpedo was on a 20' metal spar, pivoted on a y-yoke off the bottom of the bow, and deployed at a downward angle of 30 degrees -- and that is exactly what was found when the bow was excavated. (The torpedo spar -- in its own cradle -- was the first part of the Hunley to be raised.)

Here's a page from that 1998-1999 forum:

However, everyone thought that the torpedo had a spike that was rammed into the target, and a shear pin released the torpedo so that the Hunley could back away a safe distance and fire the torpedo by pulling a lanyard.

But, that's not what was found. The remains of the torpedo were found still bolted onto the end of the 20' iron pipe spar!

The torpedo was still solidly attached to the Hunley when the 130-lb charge exploded!

I maintain that the shock --, hard- coupled up the iron shaft of the spar -- was a major contributor to the shock that killed the crew...

[Covenantor]

Was aware of the Turtle...which along with Robert Fulton’s Nautilus, and the Hunley established American ingenuity in the vanguard of military submarine development.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I think the Turtle some 80 years before was the first design.

[TXnMA]

Some of you may be interested in my "insider view" re the Hunley Project -- with materials dating back to before the Hunley was raised --- in my #52 on this thread...

[RegulatorCountry]

It was a sort of barrel-shaped submersible made of wooden staves held together with metal bands like a barrel with only one man aboard. It was in no sense like a modern submarine, whereas the Hunley was. It was unsuccessful in attempts to attack ships, whereas the Hunley was. Other than being a (somewhat) underwater conveyance with similar intended purposes, there really is no comparing the Turtle with the Hunley.

[Southack]

Article doesn’t say, but the killing zone of the blast radius of 135 pounds of packed black powder, underwater, would be roughly 10 meters in every direction.

Hunley was 5 meters away with the spar.

[HandyDandy]

The torpedo was still solidly attached to the Hunley when the 130-lb charge exploded!

Begs the question: who pulled the lanyard?......and when?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

And the Wright Flyer did not engage in any dog fights.

It was still the first air plane.

Little Willie never even made it to the battle field.

It was still the first tank.

[TXnMA]

"... who pulled the lanyard?......and when?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Last time I talked with the Lasch Conservation Lab crew, there were still ongoing studies as to whether contact fuzes (or, even electrical detonators) could have been used, instead of the lanyard fuzes.

Pulling a lanyard on a torpedo attached to the target -- but detached from the Hunley -- supposedly would have involved deploying line from an external spool -- and automatically pulling the lanyard tight when they reached "the end of the line".

Pulling a lanyard with the torpedo still on the spar would have required crew (presumably, Dixon) to pull the lanyard from inside the Hunley -- which would have required a hole drilled through the Hunley's hull or conning tower. I'm not sure how the de-concretion has progressed since I was last at the lab, but, AFAIK, no such hole has yet been found.