The Turtle Submarine

 In 1775, American engineer and inventor David Bushnell of Connecticut built the first submarine specially designed for naval combat. The project was championed by the Connecticut governor who persuaded George Washington to provide funding for the construction. Bushnell’s idea was to approach enemy ships from below, drill into the hull with an auger and release an attached barrel filled with black powder. The barrel contained mechanically timed fuse, probably using a flintlock for ignition of the explosive. The Turtle’s hull was heavy oak staves covered in tar to make it water tight. Several attempts were made sink ships in the British blockade of New York harbor: all of them failed.

 On the night of 6 September 1776, Sgt. Ezra Lee set out with 20 minutes of air in the Turtle to sink the British flag-ship, HMS Eagle, in the harbor. After about two hours, Lee was unable to drill into the British ship’s hull. He was probably exhausted and, breathing carbon dioxide somewhat confused, at this point. He released the bomb anyway, which drifted into the East River where it made a tremendous explosion.

 Note on modelling the turtle: There are detailed written descriptions of the Turtle by Bushnell, but no drawings have survived. Based on the descriptions, several reproductions have been made and are on display in various museums. Clearly the builders of these subs had to employ some guesswork regarding the details. My model is an amalgam of some of these reproductions with some of my own guesswork.

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