Complete Civil War Submarine Unveiled for First Time

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Cutting edge technology from 150 years ago has finally made its debut in full view for the first time since its raising from the sea bed off the coast of Charleston. The H.L. Hunley is the very first successful combat submarine which was recovered 10 years ago and has been undergoing restoration ever since. The showing this week was the first after draining the restoration tank and removal of supporting steel superstructure. The H.L. Hunley will be on display to the public after completion of restoration.
 
The story of the Hunley is fascinating,it was really ahead of it's time. I can't imagine the courage those soldiers had on it's first (and final) mission,considering two crews died in it before it actually saw combat.
 
The guys on the 3rd and final crew had to know it was a one way trip...considering it sank twice before killing two previous crews.
 
You would think but this was a different era and time and men were very courageous. You have to remember that on land, men stood abreast and marched into battle and they as well knew they could be cut down by those .58 caliber Minié balls which left horrific wounds. Lot of people would be surprised that many of those rifles back then had excellent ranges, 250 yards out to 500 and 600 yards most men could hit a mans torso.

There is a story out there, and I don't know the facts, but I believe it was this sub when it was found all those years ago that the remains of the men in the sub were removed. I'm going to guess I don't have my story right but I think there was an officer assigned to this sub, his remains and with him, in his pocket, he carried a gold coin. The reason he carried this gold coin was that it had saved his life and stopped a Minié ball in battle. The story was passed down from the family over the years and they actually recovered this gold coin in the silt of this sub and returned it to the family.

I'll go and see if I can't find that story.
 
I understand your point, but at least with conventional combat people walked away...the Gold coin is a testament to that. But you're a soldier offered a spot on the Hunley, and you hear that both the previous crews died inside it...you gotta know its as risky or riskier then serving in front line combat (something many of them had probably done before).
Very brave men indeed, very courageous too. I don't know their exact reasoning joining the crew, but I'm pretty sure self preservation wasn't a factor they considered.

History has proven that serving on a submarine in any era is especially dangerous. What these guys did so long ago, simply epic.
 
Is that a picture of the sub or Chuck Norris' dick? lol
I'll be vistingthe museum once it's done. Can't wait for the documentary.
 
There's a level of courage needed to do that that's just mind boggling. The entire Civil War, with all its horrors, is just one such tale after another.
 
You know, the gold coin story is in the article......

How the hell 8 men fit in that thing is beyond me.
 
griff30 said:
Is that a picture of the sub or Chuck Norris' dick? lol
I'll be vistingthe museum once it's done. Can't wait for the documentary.
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There was a movie made about it by TNT a couple of years ago. And a documentary made when it was discovered and raised.
 
im impressed the screw was baffled for the time how ever built her knew what they were doing
 
There's an entrance at top of the sub you would enter from, climb down / out of. Once in the sub though, yes you were basically forced to hunch / crawl from one position to the next. This thing never was design to sink / operate from great depths. It was only designed to skim just below the surface of the water. Fresh air was brought in from a rigid tube or sorts. Maybe even flexible tubing. Forgive me If I take an educated guess at it. I'm really at doing that. I am also guilty of not reading the articles that are sometimes linked as was the case here. I knew enough to not read the article but, had I done so, I might have left out the links to the gold coin. But still glad I included the additional links nonetheless.
 
Unknown-One said:
It was even used as a plot device in a movie (not a very good movie, but still...)
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There's a solid connection there,the movie was based on a book by novelist Clive Cussler,who led efforts to raise the Hunley. His books are very popular,but for some reason Hollywood screwed up both efforts (the first was Raise the Titanic) to translate them to film.
 
I'm not sure I'm in favor of the Hunley being raised. I consider it a grave site and resting place for those who lost their lives. There are no direct 1st or 2nd generation descendents to return the remains to.

It's akin to raising the Arizona. Does it make sense to raise that ship too?
 
DigitalGriffin said:
I'm not sure I'm in favor of the Hunley being raised. I consider it a grave site and resting place for those who lost their lives. There are no direct 1st or 2nd generation descendents to return the remains to.

It's akin to raising the Arizona. Does it make sense to raise that ship too?
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I think the only ones who can really answer that are the soldiers themselves,and unless you're a medium they aren't saying. Personally I think I'd prefer resting in some family plot than the bottom of the ocean. And the Hunley is a piece of history,preserving it and putting it on display serves as a testament to the ingenuity and courage of those men.
 
DigitalGriffin said:
I'm not sure I'm in favor of the Hunley being raised. I consider it a grave site and resting place for those who lost their lives. There are no direct 1st or 2nd generation descendents to return the remains to.

It's akin to raising the Arizona. Does it make sense to raise that ship too?
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Now is the most important time, the future our hope, but the past is our teacher. I will never honor the cause of these men and their vessel, but I can certainly at least try to respect the greatness of this boat for its time and the sacrifices that these men made.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
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Gettysburg Address
 
d3ktrix said:
whoa that thing is SMALL
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I thought so too, but it's an optical illusion from the way the shot was take,. It looks like he's hosing down a model.

It's way bigger than it looks.
 
DigitalGriffin said:
I'm not sure I'm in favor of the Hunley being raised. I consider it a grave site and resting place for those who lost their lives. There are no direct 1st or 2nd generation descendents to return the remains to.

It's akin to raising the Arizona. Does it make sense to raise that ship too?
Click to expand...

On April 17, 2004 the remains of the crew were laid to rest at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina. Tens of thousands of people attended including some 6,000 reenactors and 4,000 civilians wearing period clothing. Color guards from all five branches of the U.S. armed forces—wearing modern uniforms—were also in the procession. Even though only two of the crew were from Confederate States all were buried with full Confederate honors including being buried with a version of the Confederate national flag. - Wikipedia

Sounds like they got a good send off...
 
Team Obi Juan said:
So what are its dimensions?
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from Wikipedia:

General characteristics
Displacement: 7.5 short tons (6.8 metric tons)
Length: 39.5 feet (12.0 meters)
Beam: 3.83 feet (1.17 meters)
Propulsion: Hand-cranked propeller
Speed: 4 knots (7.4 kilometers/hour) (surface)
Complement: 1 officer, 7 enlisted
Armament: 1 spar torpedo
 
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