The U.S. Navy’s attack submarine is one of the most lethal weapons in our country’s arsenal, and they are stealthy. In fact, submarines can be considered one of the original stealth weapons. This particular area of the Navy is nicknamed “the Silent Service”. It has earned its nickname rightfully, as submarines patrol the world’s oceans and seas undetected and invisible, carrying out various missions. The first American submarine, named the Turtle, was designed and built by Yale graduate, David Bushnell in 1776. Yes, the submarine is as old as the United States herself. Originally a one-man vessel, it was “submerged by admitting water into the hull and surfaced by pumping it out with a hand pump. Powered by a pedal-operated propeller and armed with a keg of powder, the egg-shaped Turtle gave Revolutionary Americans high hopes for a secret weapon - a weapon that could destroy the British warships anchored in New York Harbor.” On its very first mission on the night of September 6th, the Turtle made its way in the dark waters of New York Harbor towards the British vessel the HMS Eagle. However, the first attempt to attach the Turtle’s torpedo to the hull of the HMS Eagle failed as the screw was unable to penetrate its hull. The second attempt was also a failure. As the Turtle turned back to shore it was observed and followed, causing the pilot of the Turtle to release the torpedo into the waters. While the explosion caused no damage, the “British recognized the threat and moved the fleet. Weather problems and other operating difficulties prevented a successful attack by the submarine before it was scuttled by the British while being transported.” During the Civil War, Confederate Lawson Hunley converted an old steam boiler into a submarine, and after two failed water trials that killed the crews of each and Hunley himself, the submarine was named the Hunley in honor of its creator. The Hunley was much larger than the Turtle and could hold 8 or 9 men and was propelled by a hand-driven screw. “In 1864, armed with a 90-pound charge of powder on a long pole, the Hunley attacked and sank a new Federal steam sloop, USS Housatonic, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor.” After this, she was never seen of again until 131 years later in 1995 when her wreckage was discovered off the coast of South Carolina. Today, the United States Navy has many different kinds of submarines that can hold 100+ men. They sure have come a long way since 1776. Here’s to those that serve in the Silent Service as the Guardians of the Deep.
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