Inventor: David Bushnell

The first submarine, invented in 1775, was named the Turtle, and was made of oak reinforced by iron bands. It was approximately 7.5 ft tall and 6 ft. wide, and could be considered a walnut shape. The vessel was entered using an airtight hatch, much like the ones on modern-day submarines. To provide air, fresh air would be sucked in through a special leak proof straw, and once submerged, the vessel could only stay underwater as long as it took for the air to become stale. It was maneuvered by hand, using two propellers, along with a rudder to steer. For use in battle, it had a large drill mounted to the top, with the handle inside of the vessel. The screw on the drill had a waterproof fuse attached, with a floating mine. The idea was that the drill would wedge a screw far enough into the keel of the boat so that the screw could be detached along with the mine, the fuse lit, and then the submarine would drive away as quickly as possible.

This vessel was first demonstrated in the summer of 1775. It did not have a chance to be used in battle until the British began to blockade New York City in 1776. Bushnell was too weak to operate his submarine, so a volunteer piloted the mission. The intended target was chosen to be the British flagship HMS Eagle. The mission failed because of the copper plates on the bottom of the ship, but still succeeded in spooking the British. After the attack, and two successive attacks that were unsuccessful, the British began moving their ships farther from shore, helping the American forces in the remainder of the war.

Picture from:

Inside the Turtle Submarine. N.d. 26 Dec. 2003 <http://inventors.about.com/library/graphics/submarine10.jpg>

"David Bushnell." Lemelson-MIT Program. Dept. home page. Sept. 1999. MIT School of Engineering. 26 Dec. 2003 <http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/bushnelld.html>.

• This webpage gave a concise description of the Turtle, and a brief biography of David Bushnell.

The Evolution of Submarine Design. About. 27 Dec. 2003 <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsubmarine3.htm>.

• This site had some basic information on submarines and their history.