Q. Did they ever find the USS Alligator?
But in April 1863, while being towed south to take part in the attack on Charleston harbor, the Union sub was caught in a fierce storm and cut loose off Cape Hatteras. It hasn’t been seen since. But the Alligator has not been forgotten.
Q. Did the USS Alligator sink any ships?
USS Alligator (1813) was a sloop purchased in 1813. The British captured her on 14 December 1814 during the Battle of Lake Borgne. USS Alligator (1820) was a schooner, launched in 1820, and scuttled in 1822. USS Alligator (1862) was a non-commissioned submarine launched in 1862 and sank in April 1863.
Q. What happened to the USS Alligator?
Today, the Alligator has stabilized and is in a fair state of preservation. The USS Alligator wreck lies 200 ft. southwest of Alligator Reef lighthouse off of Islamorada. Located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the wreck is submerged in 3-12 ft.
Q. What was called the Alligator during the Civil War?
Built in Philadelphia in 1862, the Alligator was the U.S. Navy’s first submarine. The green, torpedo-shaped vessel was a technological wonder on par with the other great maritime advances of the Civil War era, including the ironclad USS Monitor, and the recently raised Confederate submarine CSS H.L. Hunley.
Q. How deep was the water the Hunley sank in?
The wreck was actually 100 yd (91 m) away from and on the seaward side of Housatonic in 27 feet (8.2 m) of water. The submarine was buried under several feet of silt, which had both concealed and protected the vessel for more than a hundred years.
Q. What were submarines called in the Civil War?
The Confederate States of America used submarines in combat. They built small, steam-powered submarines, called Davids, named for the Bible’s legendary giant-slayer.
Q. What killed the crew of the Hunley?
On 15 October 1863, Hunley failed to surface after a mock attack, killing all eight crewmen. Among these was Hunley himself, who had joined the crew for the exercise and possibly had taken over command from Dixon, for the attack maneuver.
Q. How long could the USS Nautilus stay submerged?
NAUTILUS was the first true submarine and could stay underwater for very long periods of time. Whereas World War II submarines would remain submerged for 12-48 hours. NAUTILUS could remain underwater for two weeks or more.
Q. How many died on the Housatonic?
five
In mere moments, a large explosion on the Housatonic sunk the vessel. Despite the rapid sinking, most of the ship’s 150-member crew had enough time to abandon the ship. Only five of the Union crew were reported killed.
Q. When did the Navy accept the USS Alligator?
On 13 June, the Navy formally accepted the boat. Next, the steam tug Fred Kopp was engaged to tow the submarine to Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Q. Where was the schooner Alligator when it sank?
On November 2, 1820, the newly completed hull of the United States Schooner Alligator slipped down the ways at Charlestown Navy Yard near Boston, Massachusetts.
Q. Where is the alligator shipwreck in Florida?
The wreck (designated Florida Master Site File number 8MO173) is located on Alligator Reef, so named because it has traditionally been identified as the location of the schooner’s loss.
Q. What was the name of the first American submarine?
USS Alligator (1862) The first American submarine, built during the Revolutionary War, was Turtle, which the civilian David Bushnell designed and built, and Sergeant Ezra Lee of the Continental Army operated.
