The Evolution of the Sumarine Due to War
The submarine is an extreamly useful tactical tool. Bred through war, the submarine is one of the most advanced covert weapons technologies today. The submarine is a ship designed and built to travel under water. A "true" submarine spends the majority of time under water and is capable of staying under water indefinaltely(Rush 140). The only "true" submarine today is the nuclear sub. The first "true" submarine is the U.S.S nautilus(Rush 141). There are two main types of war affiliated submarines, attack submarines and ballistic missile submarines. The attack submarine is designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships. The much larger ballistic missile submarine is designed to carry multiple warheads to attack enemy cities and military facilities ashore(Polmar 748).
The submarine origionated over 2,000 years ago when Alexander the great went below the Mediteranian Sea in a glass barrel(Wyckoff 13). Submarines were toyed with by scientists through the years but not many uses were found for the concept of a submersable until the revolutionary war. The first attack submarine was the Turtle, designed by a student at Yale university by the name of David Bushnell, it's purpose was to sink a British war ship in New York Harbor(Polmar 750). It's mission was a failure but none the less was the first attempt to sink a ship with a submersable(Polmar 750). The first success was made durring the Civil War(Polmar 750). The Confederate sub Hunley rammed the Union ship Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, and both the Hunley and the Housatonic sank(Polmar 750). The Hunley's weapon consisted of an explosive at the end of a long pole wich was to be set off when in close enough proximity to the ship it was to attack(Polmar 750).
The submarine has advanced dramaticly due to war. The first major advancement in submarine technology is the invention of a gasoline and batery powered submarine by John P. Holland(Polmar 750). This ship was bought by the US Navy in 1900 and named the U.S.S Holland(Polmar 750). The U.S.S Holland was capable of speeds of 6 knots submerged(Polmar 750). The gasoline and battery powered combination allowed for submarines to run on gasoline while surfaced, and by battery power when submerged and combustion was no longer possable without wasting valuable oxogen within the submarine. The next leap in the technological development of the submarine was the periscope developed by Simon Lake in 1902(Polmar 750).
In the American Revolutionary War, a manned underwater craft named the American Turtle (or the "water-machine") was used against the British Navy. David Brushnell designed this ingenious machine in 1771. The submarine was a one manned, egg-shaped vessel which was propelled by hand-operated screw-like devices. It was bottom-heavy in order for it to remain upright. The operator would plant a submersible mine that could be triggered by a simple clockwork mechanism. He could paddle away after he attached the magazine of gunpowder onto the enemy ship. The operator could stay under for about thirty minutes
...was recognized for having been travelled remarkably long on its engine before breaking down which exceeded industry standards. The crew were congratulating for their heroics and recognized their arduous task of manning the troublesome submarines.
Throughout the years submarine technology has advanced throughout the years from the original military submarine the turtle to the German u boats during WWII modern nuclear power submarines that we have today. These developments have required a lot of technological improvements. To make the u boats work the Germans need better battery and electrical motor technologies and the nuclear submarine obviously needed nuclear technology. Submarines have always been an innovative way to win the navel war.
On an ordinary day, October 12, 2000, in the port of Aden, Yemen, a small boat pulled aside the USS Cole. The unimportant boat looked unthreatening until a suicide attack occurred. The bombing was devastating, leaving a gigantic hole in the ship, killing 17 American sailors and injuring 39. The attackers were known enemies from Al- Qaeda, which had committed attacks against other countries. The attack on the USS Cole was one of the events that triggered the war on terror, which is still going on today. The U.S. had not concerned itself with Al-Qaeda until this vicious attack. The attack on the USS Cole began a war between terrorists and the U.S; the U.S now knows how dangerous Al-Qaeda is especially after the attack of 9/11. The Cole attack woke the United States and made it aware of Al-Qaeda as a real threat.
A corvette is a small, but rapid vessel which was designed to prevent U-Boats from torpedoing supply ships that were headed to Britain and patrol coasts in the most dire weather conditions.
"World War I Naval War: U-Boats." World War I: Naval War U Boats Submarines. N.p., 21 June 2004. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
The standard torpedo of the war suffered from early problems with its internal depth-keeping equipment, and its firing pistol, but these were solved after the Norwegian Campaign. In mid 1942 an improved version was introduced with an increased battery capacity. The increased battery capacity increased the range 50%.
The Lusitania was a British ocean liner in the early twentieth century that often ferried people and goods between the United States and Great Britain. During this time the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific were very dangerous due to World War I. Many people were warned that if they continued to make passage through the oceans they were at risk for being attacked, so they were told to be vigilant and take precautionary measures to ensure their safety. The most frightening of all became true for those aboard the Lusitania, “On May 7, 1915 the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk, (History.com Staff).” Throughout this paper I will provide you with background on the Lusitania, what took place on May 7 prior to the sinking and the effects the sinking had international and political relations and how it shaped the rest of the war.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the limits of innovation are often put to the test. In the case of a submarine launched to sea in 1938, the USS Squalus, bad luck proved disastrous. Within minutes of a test dive, twenty-six men drowned. Years later, Peter Maas compiled the known information about the tragedy into The Terrible Hours: The Greatest Submarine Rescue in History. Over the heartbreaking journey of hopelessness to hope, crisis to survival, and depths to ascension, Maas weaves the sad tale depicting the unknown dangers that technology possesses.
The South used submarines to break the Unions Navy blockades. The first every submarine to destroy an enemy ship was the H.L. Hunley. The Hunley was ready to be tested on July 1863 in Mobile Bay where it proved successful by sinking a coal floatboat like the article “Civil War Submarine” explains. The Hunley was then sent to Charleston, South Carolina to stop Union blockades. On February 17, 1864, the Hunley meet the Union's USS Housatonic. The Housatonic was sunk within five minutes of battle. Lieutenant Dixon and his crew became the first to ever sink an enemy ship using a submarine as told by the article “Civil War Submarine”. After the battle, the Hunley was never heard from again until the 1970’s where it was found by underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence.
Passive sonar allows military ships to detect submarines and other vessels without transmitting their own signals to other ships since World War I. Sonar allows a shipmate to be able to know the exact speed, coordinates, and how big the ship or submarine is. According to NOAA, “The technology steadily improved, and by World War II, was used once again for military purposes. Sonar is messing with the way whales communicate. In the 1960s, the development of digital computer technology made plotting of sonar data much easier”1 The military was going to try and communicate with whales but the whales were not found at their regular sites.
"U.S. Submarines in World War I." U.S. Submarines in World War I. United States Navy, n.d. Web. 03 June 2013.
Preston, Anthony. Submarines: The History and Evolution of Underwater Fighting Vessels. London: Octopus Books Limited, 1975.
"Top 10 Inventions Discovered During WWII." WAR HISTORY ONLINE. N.p., 26 Dec. 2013. Web. 4 May 2014. .
Transportation became a huge contributor to the industries of the 1800’s and 1900’s. “Steam boat experiments as early as 1780s both in England and America, but the need was greater in America.’ The steamboat uses a water and and a boiler that is powered by a fuel, which can be wood, coal, or other combustible entity. “The first successful steamboat may have been built by French engineer and inventor Claude-François-Dorothée, in 1783.” As years went by, engineers such as John Fitch and Robert Fulton began building and deploying steamships, with American inventor Fitch in the Mississippi, and English engineer Fulton on the Hudson River of New York. With the steamboat being the first mechanically powered vessel known to humans, it provided a faster new forme of transportation for traders in Americas and Europe. The steam-powered boats could travel at the astonishing speed of up to five miles per hour.