Meet the First Submarine Used in Combat

The "Turtle" was the first submersible used in underwater combat. Even though it wasn’t completely successful, it did set the precedent for submersible combat.

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[vjqzbrl]

The Turtle operator tried to attach an explosive, via drill, to the British ship. The plan was to attach it, and explode it as the ship left the harbor, but after a long attempt, and much sweating and straining, on the part of the operator, gave up. He didn’t know the haul was reinforced by steel. Still, not being one to leave the job undone, the operator detonated the unattached bomb in the harbor. It didn’t sink any ship, but it was enough to scare the British out of that harbor. They couldn’t believe that someone had been able to penetrate undetected that deep into their ship yard. They also, had never seen or heard of a submarine before.

[sawyersheltonproductions]

With Isis's budget, this is probably what their submarines are like

[Enderneko]

the best fact is it doesnt use electricity or whatever

[FivePointsVids]

Too bad that dude never thought of a fuckin magnet

[cosmickitteh]

Wow Metal hulls in the 1700s that is wild, I had no idea.
Always thought of them appearing in the 1800s with steam engine boats

[jrmusan]

I wouldnt trust my pet rock in that thing.

[DoggoneNexus]

The CG model should have paddle propellers, not screws. And the mission's failure probably had less to do with the paper-thin copper lining of the ship than with exhaustion and oxygen deprivation. In any case, the operator was lucky to escape with his life.

[everlasting]

The Turtle! This makes me miss Nathaniel Sackett.

[shogunfox]

The Titanic Secret (Clive Cussler) brought me here. I was shocked to learn they actually had a submarine back during Revolutionary War.

[markseatvet]

I am directly related to Bushnell through my mother’s mother. In fact, my mom’s mom’s brother is named Pierre Bushnell McBride, founder of Louisville Porcelain Products and was a benefactor to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. He gave the football field.

[subornaakter]

Bushnell should have used detachable tempered drill bit

[johnh]

The best sub in the world is "Sky Diver" . Second to that is the "Sea View" .

[f-araptoryamato]

Dude if they let the British copy it, propellers could’ve been invented earlier

[LunarHorizonProductions]

That's not a submarine it's a submersible, a submarine can move under it's own power a submersible can not. This one in particular needs a human inside for it to move. The presenter even calls it a submersible in the video. The worlds first practical submarine was invented and built by John Philip Holland and was called the Fenian Ram.

[GYM]

Did they have limpet charges at the time?

[ardacetin]

Architect İbrahim Efendi,
the first submarine in the world
by the name 'Tahtelbahir' in 1719

[failureflinch]

I believe there was no tank, the ballast water was pumped into the sub, and the operator would get wet!

[_eddiecole]

he screwed up screwing that thing up. lol

[noaht]

Seems like having this thing take a swimmer out who could dive to the edge or underside of the ship and plant the explosives would’ve been a little more effective, and much safer.

[MrMiLkDuDgaming]

Is it just me or when they show the propeller rotating at 1:19 is it going the wrong way