American, David Bushnell invented a mine barrage consisting of floating kegs containing explosives, equipped with a gunlock and hammer that would ignite ships upon contact. During the American Revolutionary War, in August 1777 a series of attached mines in Black Point Bay, near New London, CT, USA. Members of the crew of the British frigate Cerberus, commanded by Captain J. Symons noticed a rope alongside the ship. not realizing a mine was attached to the end. They hoisted the mine on board which exploded, killing three crew members and blowing a fourth into the water.

Date:
      August, 1777
Name(s):
      David Bushnell
Occupation:
      inventor
Location:
      New London, CT, USA

Additional Information:

• David Bushnell – Wikipedia
  David Bushnell (August 30, 1740 – 1824 or 1826), of Westbrook, Connecticut, was an American inventor, a patriot, one of the first American combat engineers, a teacher, and a medical doctor. Bushnell invented the first submarine to be used in battle, as well as a floating mine triggered by contact.
• David Bushnell and his Revolutionary Submarine …
  Yet, the son of a Connecticut farmer, David Bushnell, hoped to prove that … David Bushnell’s submarine invention and underwater mine were first made known …
• David Bushnell | American inventor | Britannica
  The craft was armed with a mine, or a torpedo, to be attached to the hull of an enemy ship. Several attempts were made with Bushnell’s “Turtle” against British …
• Submarine Turtle Naval Documents – Naval History and …
  Nov 2, 2017 – Named Turtle because its inventor, David Bushnell, believed the craft … the weaponry of Turtle, which consisted of a “torpedo,” or mine that …
• The History of the Sea Mine and its Continued Importance in … [PDF]
  David Bushnell has become known as the father of mine warfare. … This mine barrage limited the ability of German subs to break out of the Atlantic Ocean and.