All nations shared several problems: keeping the air fresh, navigating underwater, and affixing explosives to the hulls of ships (or finding some other way of causing damage). In subsequent years, many nations experimented with submarines, including the French, Germans, British, and Americans. One of the first recorded uses of submarines in warfare was David Bushnell's (1742?-1824) boat, the Turtle, which made a total of three unsuccessful attacks on British warships during the American Revolution. The immediate impact of Drebbel's invention was to spur a flurry of activity among submarine designers, both serious and crackpot, each trying to find some way to exploit this invention for purposes of warfare or exploration. "Assassination at the bottom of the sea" was probably the first and most important outcome of developing a successful submarine. These involve military advantage, scientific exploration and discovery, and inciting the public imagination. Since the first voyage of Drebbel's machine over three centuries ago, the submarine has exerted three primary impacts on science and society. And, invariably, one of the first thoughts was about the military advantage that could be enjoyed by any nation building a fleet of submarines. This was successful to the point that, according to contemporary accounts, it "could be rowed and navigated under water from Westminster to Greenwich, the distance of two Dutch miles: or even five or six miles, or as far as one pleased." It was demonstrated to a number of people, and Drebbel may have even built additional craft. Yet another innovation was the ability to propel and steer the craft. It is more likely that Drebbel designed the craft to float with the upper deck just awash, counting on the vessel's forward momentum to carry it beneath the water, in a manner similar to that used by many submarines today. The scheme described for submerging the boat, by changing the volume of water contained within goatskin sacks inside the boat, seems implausible at best. ![]() There is some doubt, too, that Drebbel's craft actually submerged fully, as a modern submarine does. Many modern "scrubbers" use either lithium hydroxide or complex chemicals for this task however, these did not exist in the seventeenth century and could not have been used by Drebbel. Unfortunately, while there seems little doubt that Drebbel did make use of a chemical reaction to do so, exactly which chemicals he used is not known. However, it is possible that he stumbled upon a method of scavenging carbon dioxide from the air prolonging the time a vessel could remain submerged. It is unlikely that Drebbel actually succeeded in separating oxygen from air this was not to be accomplished for another century. We now know that about 20% of air is comprised of oxygen, termed the "quintessence" by Drebbel. For starters, Drebbel was one of the first to realize that part of the air is necessary for life and the rest is not. Perhaps the most important of these was his apparent discovery of a method for replenishing the atmosphere of his tiny vessel while remaining underwater. The next mentions of submarines (or, more properly, submersibles) was not until Leonardo da Vinci (1451-1519) mentioned a military diving system in the late fifteenth century, although he gave no details because of "the evil nature of men who practice assassination at the bottom of the sea." Following the passage of a few more centuries, William Bourne (1535-1583) described the principles by which a ship could operate submerged, although he did not propose building such a vessel or provide any drawings for one.Īfter Bourne, only another 40 years were to pass before Drebbel's invention made its appearance.ĭrebbel made a few significant advances, some of which are unfortunately lost to us because of his penchant for guarding his secrets. Although likely a legend only, this is the first record of anyone entering the water for longer than they could hold their breath, and it was not to be repeated (or at least, not written about) for nearly 2,000 years. Alexander the Great descended to the bottom of the sea in a glass diving bell, accompanied by two companions and lunch. Today, nearly four centuries later, the submarine is a powerful tool for research and a potent weapon in war. Although this invention was not capitalized upon for more than two centuries, Drebbel's submersible marked the first step towards submarine warfare and caused quite a stir in many circles at the time. ![]() ![]() In 1623 Dutch inventor Cornelius Drebbel (1572-1633) invented the first submersible that could remain underwater for an extended period of time, be propelled through the water, and be steered.
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