The first submarine ever credited with sinking an enemy ship was the Confederate navy's H. L. Hunley, which, during the American Civil War, sank the Union navy's frigate, the Housatonic. The Hunley, propelled by a crew of eight using hand cranks to turn its propeller, approached the Housatonic after dark, carrying a large cache of explosives at the end of a thirty-foot spar jutting from its bow. The explosion destroyed the frigate; it also sank the Hunley, which disappeared with all hands.
The H. L. Hunley was the first submarine recognized for successfully sinking an enemy ship during the American Civil War. This Confederate vessel targeted the Union frigate Housatonic, using a crew of eight who manually operated the submarine's propeller. Under the cover of darkness, the Hunley approached its target, equipped with explosives attached to a thirty-foot spar at its front.
