Mystery of the secret Confederate submarine Hunley is SOLVED (TR)

UK Daily Mail ^ | 07/19/2018 | Iain Burns

[DFG]

The first submarine to down an enemy ship was sunk itself after its crew failed to release an emergency weight to help it resurface.

Crew aboard the Confederate vessel HL Hunley did not disconnect the 1,000lb keel blocks to help it rapidly resurface, resulting in the sub being trapped underwater and the men dying from lack of oxygen.

Scientists who removed the corrosion, silt and shells from the boat found the levers all locked in their regular position, solving a mystery dating back to 1864.

The blocks would typically keep the sub upright, but also could be released with three levers. That would allow it to surface rapidly, archaeologist Michael Scafuri, who has worked on the submarine for 18 years, said.

[DiogenesLamp]

Some historians say that the submarine showed a mission-accomplished lantern signal from its hatch to troops back on shore before it disappeared.

I've read everything about the Hunley that I could find when they first raised it, and I recall reading that. I now no longer believe that is true. Someone perhaps imagined seeing it, because what we now know to be the truth makes that claimed sighting an impossibility.

[DiogenesLamp]

My understanding is that the copper clad bomb was bolted securely to the 20' Iron spar on the front of the Hunley, and so it wasn't designed to explode by reversing and pulling a lanyard.

They were too close to the blast, and killed instantly.

[smokingfrog]

Yes. There is still some controversy over the blue lantern or blue light signal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_light_(pyrotechnic_signal)

[SteveH]

so was it widely regarded as a suicide mission? or did they not know about blast shock waves?

[Rebelbase]

There’s a mock up of the Hunley mounted to a flatbed truck that travels around the US going to festivals, etc.

I Highly recommend it for a visit if it’s in your town.

[onedoug]

I think about those guys in the Hunley occasionally, and am glad we got to see their graves, and the sub itself.

One of those pix in the article appears to show her in near pristine shape now, if the lighting in the image can be trusted.

Pretty good article.

[Tallguy]

Robert Goddard was there before Von Braun.

[jim_trent]

> “From what I’ve read they were all unconscious as a result of concussion from the blast.”

I have read that, too. There was some pretty good test data to back it up. That would also explain why they did not release the weights. They were already dead.

[TXnMA]

"The freeper who explained this to me actually worked on the Hunley project."

More than likely that FReeper to whom you refer was me.

~~~~~~~~~~~
That "Daily Mail article is pure, balderdash bunk!

In fact, I'm going to call Mike Scafuri tomorrow -- to see if that stupid Brit reporter quoted him at all accurately!
~~~~~~~~~~~

We've known for years, that the ballast blocks were never unlocked --
in any of the Hunley's three sinkings. Furthermore, the state of the ballast blocks
had zero to do with the root cause that rendered the crew
INCAPABLE of releasing those blocks.

Earlier, Dixon and the crew (when fresh and rested) did a test that showed that they could (barely) survive for two hours submerged -- on the air inside the closed-up Hunley.

But, on the final run, they had cranked the vessel for four miles out from Breach Inlet -- immediately before the explosion that sank the Housatonic. Almost certainly they didn't comprehend that the lactic acid and other metabolites -- built up in their muscles and blood from their exertion -- had greatly increased their bodies' demands for oxygen -- even while sitting at rest. (Their remains were found -- sitting at their duty stations -- showing no evidence of frantic efforts to escape -- or to drop ballast blocks...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm working on a follow-on comment for tomorrow -- to deal with the shock experienced by the Hunley and its crew. It's already in my HTML editor -- and will be heavily illustrated -- including some never-before-published sketches......

Until then, I'm declaring the cited Daily Mail article to be a shoddy example of Fake News!!!

[TXnMA]

Hey FRiend, I didn't know we had another FReeper who was a Hunley volunteer!

As soon as I saw that article, I immediately started responding -- so, I didn't see your #13 -- until after I'd posted my #29. But, as you can see, we agree about the stupid article!

BTW, most of my Hunley efforts were prior to her recovery. I created and hosted a private web forum for project archaeologists, historians and engineers -- on how the torpedo was deployed.

We were the first to come up with the solution that the torpedo was deployed off the bottom of the bow on a ~16-18 foot (now known to be 18-20 foot) pipe spar, pivoted vertically on a y-yoke -- and for attack, deployed at a thirty (30) degree downward angle.

It was only a couple of days after I put my sketch of the above up on the forum -- when historian/member, Mark Ragan, posted the three sketches of "Singer's Torpedo -- Used for Blowing Up the Housatonic" -- featuring a spar socket -- at exactly a thirty (30) degree angle -- that he'd just found in the archives!

What a hoot! '-)

I now, occasionally correspond with Mike Scafuri on torpedo issues -- as will be seen in some of the sketches in my follow-on post tomorrow...

TXnMA
 

[DiogenesLamp]

More than likely that FReeper to whom you refer was me.

I believe you are right. I couldn't remember your name, but I recognize it now that i've seen it.

I'm working on a follow-on comment for tomorrow -- to deal with the shock experienced by the Hunley and its crew. It's already in my HTML editor -- and will be heavily illustrated -- including some never-before-published sketches......

I look forward to reading it.