Post by toejam on Jul 4, 2005 6:56:41 GMT -8
Well, I am in Charleston, S.C. until tomorrow and yesterday I went to see the H.L. Hunley, the first successful attack submarine.
The Hunley sunk the Housatonic in 1864 and was never seen again. It was a hand powered sub with two conning towers and a black powder torpedo mounted on a spar out in front that was jammed into the side of the victim and ignited, they now think, with a battery.
The Hunley was actually a pretty sophisticated design (although I thought the open ballast tank was a bad idea) which held a crew of 9, although only eight were on board when she sunk.
They have her now in a tank with a special solution, and she looks a bit different from the models I have seen of her - sleeker and more well thought out, except for that ballast tank thing I mentioned.
Today we are going over to Patriot's Point to see the Yorktown, the fireworks, and a destroyer over there that I have already toured but can't remember the name of.
This will be quite a 4th.
The Hunley sunk the Housatonic in 1864 and was never seen again. It was a hand powered sub with two conning towers and a black powder torpedo mounted on a spar out in front that was jammed into the side of the victim and ignited, they now think, with a battery.
The Hunley was actually a pretty sophisticated design (although I thought the open ballast tank was a bad idea) which held a crew of 9, although only eight were on board when she sunk.
They have her now in a tank with a special solution, and she looks a bit different from the models I have seen of her - sleeker and more well thought out, except for that ballast tank thing I mentioned.
Today we are going over to Patriot's Point to see the Yorktown, the fireworks, and a destroyer over there that I have already toured but can't remember the name of.
This will be quite a 4th.