![]() The submarine was located in 1995, successfully raised in 2000, and is now on display. The submarine would not see the light of day again for over 136 years. Their fate became a mystery and their accomplishment a legend. Instead, the submarine and crew disappeared into the darkness of the sea. The Confederates on Sullivan’s Island say they saw the agreed upon signal and lit a fire to guide the Hunley home, but she never returned. Dixon, had promised the troops at Battery Marshall, if successful, he would signal to shore by showing two blue lights. One record indicates Hunley Captain, Lieutenant George E. Some speculate this was the last reported sighting of the Hunley for more than a century. Nearly 45 minutes later, a Union sailor claimed he saw a blue light on the water. The Housatonic sank in less than five minutes, causing the death of 5 of its 155 crewmen. Below the surface, the spar torpedo detonated and the explosion blew a hole in the ship. The alarm sounded and the sailors fired their guns, the bullets pinging off the metal hull of the Hunley. As the object approached the ship, the crew realized it was no porpoise. ![]() The officer on the deck thought it might be a porpoise, coming up to blow. At about 8:45pm, several sailors on the deck of the Union ship, the USS Housatonic, reported seeing something on the water just a few hundred feet away. The Hunley’s approach was stealth and by the time they were spotted, it was too late. On 17 February 1864, the Confederate submarine, The Hunley attacked and sank the 1,240- ton United States Navy #cite_note-autogenerated1-2) screw sloop-of-war Housatonic, which had been on Union blockade-duty in Charleston's outer harbor. I have attempted to be as concise as possible. Forgive the length of this post, but I wanted those unfamiliar with this case to have the necessary information. I am very interested in hearing your thoughts on this fascinating mystery. Below, I have provided a brief background, then I will provide a few of the leading theories, the supporting evidence and the objections. After recently visiting the Hunley museum in Charleston, South Carolina, I have been fascinated by this mystery and have done quite a bit of research, but alas, the research leads to more questions and each theory has its own contradictions. I would like the opinion of the members of this subreddit. ![]() If this topic has been covered before, please forgive me. It’s the question that scholars have asked themselves for over 150 years: How did the first successful military submarine, the H.L.
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