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From: stoffel@dtoa3.dt.navy.mil (William Stoffel)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Quiz answers
Message-ID: <1991May15.060946.3354@amd.com>
Date: 14 May 91 15:09:17 GMT
References: <1991May9.064602.14236@amd.com> <1991May10.064044.26803@amd.com>
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From: stoffel@dtoa3.dt.navy.mil (William Stoffel)


>From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
>>        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?

The CSS H.L. HUNLEY actually sunk 3 times. The first time she was accidently
pulled over by a steamer with the loss of 6 men (of 9). The second time
she suffered some kind of a seal loss and sunk during a practice mission
with the loss of all hands (including Mr. H. L. Hunley who had assumed
command after the first accident). The 3rd time she went down with the USS
HOUSATONIC, which she had "torpedoed" off of Charleston on 17 Feb. 1864.
There were again no survivors from the HUNLEY. ALL of the men who died
in the HUNLEY were volunteers.

>Also, as I remember, CSS HUNLEY wasn't the first submarine in the CSA

You're probably thinking of the CSS DAVID which also operated out of
Charleston prior to the HUNLEY. She was not a true submarine, but was
a small cigar shaped steam powered boat using a spar mounted torpedo.

>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.

This incident sounds more like the 1st of HUNLEY's 3 sinkings.

>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
  [balance of weapon system description deleted]

The DAVID's "torpedo" used a contact exploder. I've heard that the same
design was used by HUNLEY. I don't believe the exact cause of her 3rd
and final loss was ever determined with certainty. - Bill