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For more than a century, the CSS Hunley rested at the bottom of the ocean just outside Charleston harbor, its crew entombed, its hull gradually encased in hardening encrustations. When it was raised 15 years ago off South Carolina, it looked more like a barnacled sea monster than the world's first operational submarine, sunk in battle during the winter of 1864. The remains of its eight sailors were removed in 2001, but research has continued, and Thursday, a conservation team announced that experts have now removed more than half a ton of the encrustations. The result: the Hunley has...

The moonlit sea was unusually calm on the bitterly cold night of Feb. 17, 1864, when a watchman spotted a strange, partially submerged shape gliding steadily toward the side of the Union sloop-of-war Housatonic. The steam-powered warship was serving blockade duty outside Charleston Harbor, and was one of the Union’s biggest, best-armed vessels. Its men had heard reports of a new Confederate weapon, a “sub-torpedo”; still, it took a few minutes for the officer of the deck, John Crosby, to comprehend what he was seeing. By the time he did, it was too late. The swiftly moving craft had passed...

Researchers say they may have the final clues needed to solve the mystery of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, which never resurfaced after it became the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship, taking its eight-man crew to a watery grave.

NORTH CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Confederate Civil War vessel H.L. Hunley, the world's first successful combat submarine when it sank a Union ship in 1864, was unveiled in full and unobstructed for the first time on Thursday, capping a decade of careful preservation. "No one alive has ever seen the Hunley complete. We're going to see it today," said engineer John King as a crane at a Charleston conservation laboratory slowly lifted a massive steel truss covering the top of the submarine. About 20 engineers and scientists applauded as they caught the first glimpse of the intact 42-foot-long...

The world got an unobstructed view of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley for the first time since the Civil War on Thursday as a massive steel truss that had surrounded the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship was finally removed. The truss weighing more than 8 tons had shrouded the sub since it was raised off the coast of South Carolina almost a dozen years ago.

The world got an unobstructed view of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley for the first time since the Civil War on Thursday as a massive steel truss that had surrounded the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship was finally removed.

Posted on December 30, 2002Riley writes to McConnell about downtown Hunley plan Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. still wants to bring the Confederate sub Hunley downtown. But now he's ready to build a park to go along with the historic vessel. The Charleston mayor wrote Hunley Commission Chairman state Sen. Glenn McConnell that this plan to use the Charleston Museum would get the sub on display quickly and be cheaper than the current $40 million proposed for a place to house the Hunley. The Hunley was the hand-cranked submarine that sank after sinking a Union blockade ship off Charleston in...

There is a new and long article on the Hunley recovery. It is in this month's issue of the Civil War Times. I don't have any text but you can see it at a bookstore. It contains new details (though nothing major) and photos that have not previously been published to my knowledge. The link still shows the previous (Aug. 2001) issue of Civil War Times for some reason.

CHARLESTON — Scientists excavating the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley found an open bulkhead at the rear of the sub, leading to another possible explanation for historic submarine's sinking. The Hunley foundered off Charleston in February 1864 after ramming explosives into the Union blockade ship Housatonic and becoming the first submarine to sink an enemy warship. Immediately following the attack, the Hunley signaled to shore with a blue lantern, according to both Union and Confederate accounts. ``That at least leads me to conclude that the Hunley had circumstances under control and something more than likely happened after that,'' said State Sen. ...

Civil War Watch Stopped Suddenly; Sub End Still Unknown Bruce Smith in Charleston, South Carolina Associated Press December 17, 2007 When scientists opened the watch belonging to the H.L. Hunley commander three years ago, they thought they had the key clue to why the Confederate submarine sank off Charleston, South Carolina. But the 18-karat gold watch now seems to raise even more questions, despite the finding announced last week that the watch did not slowly wind down but stopped quickly—perhaps the result of a concussion or rushing water. "All of us were thinking the watch pointed to the crucial moment,"...

Charleston, S.C. (AP) -- When scientists opened the watch belonging to the H.L. Hunley commander three years ago, they thought they had the key clue to why the Confederate submarine sank off Charleston. But the 18-karat gold watch now seems to raise even more questions even though scientists announced Friday it did not slowly wind down but stopped quickly — perhaps the result of a concussion or rushing water. "All of us were thinking the watch pointed to the crucial moment," said state Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, chairman of the state Hunley Commission. "But I would say instead of the...

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The U.S. Navy U.S. Navy has approved plans to conserve the hand-cranked Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley by soaking the sub in high pH water to remove corrosive salts from the iron vessel. The Hunley sank the Union blockade ship Housatonic in 1864, becoming the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship. But it never returned with its crew of eight. The current plans call for soaking the submarine in high pH solutions such as sodium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate to remove salts from the iron. The Navy had to approve the conservation plan because, under...

Charleston, S.C. -- Best-selling crime author Patricia Cornwell will donate at least $500,000 to help researchers solve the mystery of the sinking of the Confederate submarine Hunley, the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship. "This is a crime scene and you are doing an autopsy on that submarine," Cornwell told The Associated Press Tuesday. "It's much like Jack the Ripper — you take the best modern science and apply it to a very old investigation and see if you can make the dead speak after all these years." The eight-man, hand-cranked sub rammed a spar with black...

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Researchers wonder if the Confederate submarine Hunley gave the world another first the first vessel to use battery-powered weapons.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Scientists excavating the Confederate submarine Hunley say they've found another unique feature of the boat. They say the Hunley had a series of skylights on top of the hull. Each had a cover which could be closed from inside. Charleston Senator Glenn McConnell chairs the Hunley Commission. He says the covers could have prevented light from escaping from the inside of the Hunley, revealing its position. McConnell says it appears the covers were designed to help seal the sub if one of the skylights broke. He says it's another indication the Hunley was a well-thought-out...

Hunt begins for Civil War subResearchers use high-tech equipment to scan the ocean floor for the USS Alligator By JERRY ALLEGOOD, Staff WriterOCRACOKE -- In the battle for submarine fame, the CSS Hunley has far outclassed the USS Alligator. Consider their Civil War service: The Confederate Hunley was credited with sinking a Union ship. The Union Alligator aborted its first mission because it couldn't dive in shallow river water. The Hunley was believed to have sunk in combat. The Alligator went down in a storm while being towed to Charleston, S.C. The Hunley sank with nine men aboard. The Alligator...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

The identities of the crew of the Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley are coming to light just days before the mens remains are to be buried. The first submarine to sink an enemy ship, the Hunley itself sank off South Carolina in 1864, was found in 1995, and was raised in 2000. On a cold February night in 1864, eight men squeezed through the tiny hatches of the H.L. Hunley, a strange new warship tied up at a dock in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. They crawled or duckwalked through the 4-foot-tall (1.2-meter-tall) passageway to their places on a...

Friends of the Hunley recently completed working with National Geographic to create a second hour-long documentary that will take the viewer along on our process of discovery about the crew. The documentary will cover the facial reconstruction process and how Hunley staff and consultants are piecing together information to learn more about the crew who manned the first successful combat submarine. The documentary, titled Forensic Case: The Hunley, will air this Sunday, April 11 on MSNBC at 8PM. Please check your local listings to confirm thatthe show will air at that time in your area. Secondly, I know many of...

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood...