The war submarine American Turtle was built by American inventor David Bushnell of Saybrook, CT, USA in 1776. The vessel accommodated one operator, had a 24-inch (61 centimeter) two-bladed wooden screw propeller, operated by hand enabling it to travel forward or in reverse at 3 knots while a crank operated the rudder aft. On September 7, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, Ezra Lee used the craft to attach a torpedo time bomb to the hull of the British flagship, the 64-gun H.M.S. Eagle, in New York Harbor. An explosion resulted, without damage as the bomb drifted away from the ship.

Date:
      September 7, 1776
Name(s):
      David Bushnell
Occupation:
      inventor
Location:
      Saybrook, CT, USA

Additional Information:

• Turtle (submersible) – Wikipedia
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• Turtle | submarine | Britannica
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• World’s first submarine attack – HISTORY
  On September 7, 1776, during the Revolutionary War, the American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard …
• Submarine Turtle Naval Documents
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• David Bushnell and his Revolutionary Submarine …
  However, all of the mechanical parts needed for the submarine required the involvement of highly skilled, experienced artisans and crafters. Bushnell’s American …