In the last few days scientists studying the wreck of the H. L. Hunley have announced a new discovery that sheds light on her mysterious fate. The Hunley, a Confederate vessel, became the first submarine to sink a ship in military history when she blew a hole in the USS Housatonic in 1864. But she never returned after her success, and even after her wreck was discovered and raised why she sank has remained a mystery. Now archaeologists have discovered a portion of her spar torpedo still connected to the ship, meaning that it had not been released when detonated, putting the Hunley only twenty feet from the explosion of the 135 pounds of gunpowder. This discovery gives scholars more information to use when trying to guess what went wrong with the Hunley. More discoveries will likely be made as they continue to chip away at the thick layer of rock and sand that built up around the ship while she lay on the ocean floor. For more details you can read the press release from the Friends of the Hunley.
Stay tuned for the release of our Civil War video series to learn the rest of the incredible story of the H. L. Hunley!
