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From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Quiz answers
Message-ID: <1991May10.064044.26803@amd.com>
Date: 9 May 91 13:00:24 GMT
References: <1991May9.064602.14236@amd.com>
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From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)


>From: dougb@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (Douglas Boom)
>Here is the answers to the last quiz...
>2.  What was the propulsion system for the submarine CSS Hunley?
>        Eight very brave (or stupid) men.
			      ^^^^^^

You should be careful of whom you call stupid.  Especially those who
died for their country.  Did these men volunteer for this dangerous 
mission, or were they ordered to carry out it?

As I remember, when the Confederate ironclad, CSS VIRGINIA (well known 
as the MERRIMACK) was nearing completion, the CSA Navy asked for volunteers
to man her guns.  No one volunteered.  Eventually, the CSA Navy ordered 
Army artillery crews to serve on the VIRGINIA.  Obviously, you can't
call these men stupid.  Who knows, it might have been the same case with
the HUNLEY.

Also, as I remember, CSS HUNLEY wasn't the first submarine in the CSA
Navy.  There was an earlier CSA submarine, but as it prepared to leave
the port, a steamboat passed by the submarine.  The steamboat's wakes 
caused the submarine to capsize, drowning everyone inside the submarine
hull - I think that only one man (commander) at the top hatch escaped.

CSS HUNLEY was the first submarine to make a successful attack on a
surface ship.  HUNLEY "stabbed" a Federal wooden ship with a pole; the
explosive was attached to the pole.  HUNLEY was to back out, letting
out the rope that was attached to the explosive.  When the HUNLEY was
a certain distance from the ship, the rope would be yanked, causing 
the explosive to be detonated.

Unfortunately, as the HUNLEY backed from the ship, the rope apparently
got tangled up, causing the explosive to be detonated prematurely.  
Both the ship and the submarine were destroyed.