Turtle (submersible)

Turtle was the world's first submersible vessel with a documented record of use in combat. It was designed and built in 1775 by the American inventor David Bushnell as a means of attaching explosive charges to ships in a harbor. Turtle was used during the American Revolutionary War in an attempt to sink the British warship HMS Eagle.

Design and Construction

The Turtle was constructed primarily of wood, reinforced with iron bands. It was shaped like a large clam and was about 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) long, 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall, and 3 feet (0.91 meters) wide. The vessel was designed to be operated by a single person and was equipped with a hand-cranked propeller for movement and a foot-operated pump for vertical motion. The submersible also featured a ballast tank that could be flooded or emptied to control buoyancy.

Operation

The Turtle was intended to be used at night to avoid detection. The operator would navigate the submersible to the target ship, attach a timed explosive charge to the hull, and then retreat. The explosive device, known as a "torpedo" in Bushnell's time, was essentially a keg of gunpowder with a clockwork detonator.

First Mission

The Turtle's first mission took place in September 1776, when it attempted to attack the British flagship HMS Eagle, which was moored in New York Harbor. The operator, Sergeant Ezra Lee, managed to navigate the Turtle to the target but was unable to successfully attach the explosive charge due to the ship's copper sheathing. Despite this failure, the mission demonstrated the potential of submersible warfare.

Legacy

Although the Turtle was not successful in its mission, it represented a significant technological advancement in naval warfare. It laid the groundwork for future developments in submarine design and underwater combat. The principles and concepts pioneered by Bushnell in the Turtle influenced later inventors and engineers, including those who developed the CSS Hunley during the American Civil War.

See Also

• Submarine
• David Bushnell
• American Revolutionary War
• CSS Hunley
• HMS Eagle (1774)