Lee Attacks Eagle: Submarine Warfare Debuts
Sergeant Ezra Lee piloted the Turtle, a one-man submersible designed by David Bushnell, against HMS Eagle in New York Harbor on September 7, 1776. The Turtle was the first submarine used in combat: a hand-cranked, egg-shaped vessel that submerged by flooding ballast tanks and steered using a compass visible through a phosphorescent patch. Lee's mission was to drill a hole into Eagle's copper-sheathed hull and attach a timed explosive charge. He couldn't penetrate the hull, possibly hitting an iron fitting. After 30 minutes of trying, he released the explosive and retreated. The charge detonated harmlessly in the harbor. The British were rattled enough to move their fleet further from shore, demonstrating that underwater warfare could influence naval strategy.
September 7, 1776
250 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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