CSS H.L. Hunley Sinks USS Housatonic
February 17, 1864 · 19th Century
On the night of February 17, 1864, the Confederate submarine CSS H.L. Hunley attacked the Union sloop-of-war USS Housatonic off Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Commanded by Lieutenant George E. Dixon with a crew of seven, the hand-cranked submarine detonated a spar torpedo against the Housatonic's hull, sinking the warship in approximately five minutes and killing five of its crew. The Hunley and all eight of its crew were lost shortly after the attack. The vessel was located in 1995 and raised in 2000.
Key Figures
George E. DixonHorace Lawson Hunley
Locations
Charleston Harbor
Topics
American Civil Warsubmarine warfareConfederate States Navynaval blockadespar torpedo
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Civil War submarine experiments informed Jules Verne depictions of submarine technology; Verne drew on scientific journal accounts of wartime submarine development 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Published
The Hunley was built as part of Confederate efforts to break the Union naval blockade of Charleston during the American Civil War American Civil War Begins
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