Early submarines – The “Brandtaucher” The 19th century was an age of invention and progress and even before planes and submarines were invented, authors like Jules Verne wrote fictionalized novels about them. As in many fields much effort was put into researching an experimenting with boats that could travel under water. Many marine enthusiasts know about the Confederate submarine USS Hunley which sunk in 1864 with the loss of all crew on board. Less known is that another early submarine was constructed in todays Germany in 1850. It is however not surprising that a nation associated with underwater warfare would construct such a vessel. Uboats and the movie “Das Boot” come straight into our minds. In 1850 the German Confederation was at war with Denmark. The Denmark had a modern fleet. This fleet was blockading the German ports. The German navy was a collection of steamers and sailing vessels equipped with a few guns and no match for the Danish navy. In this situation a Bavarian inventor named Wilhelm Bauer designed what was the first known German submarine to end the blockade of the ports. The boat was called “Brandtaucher” which can be translated as firediver, which gives a good clue about its purpose. It was planned to approach enemy warships, which were wooden in these times, unseen and set fire to them. A model of the planned vessel was presented to the authorities and who showed great interest in this invention. They gave permission to build it. Inadequate funding however brought some changes. Enclosed ballast tanks were not built and an “open pool” solution were the water could flow from one part to the other below the main floor was chosen. As built, Brandtaucher was 8.07 m long and 2.02 m at maximum beam, with a draught of 2.63 m. It was propelled by a crew of three turning large tread wheels connected to a propeller. The boat could reach a speed of three knots, but this could not be maintained for long periods of time. On 1 February 1851, Brandtaucher sank after a diving accident during acceptance trials in Kiel Harbour. The submarine experienced equipment failure (probably due to funding cuts), and sank to the bottom of Kiel Harbour. Bauer escaped by letting in water, thus increasing the air pressure, which allowed Bauer and his two companions to open the hatch. They floated to the surface in large bubbles of air escaping the submarine. This was the first submarine escape to be witnessed and reported. In 1887 the wreck was discovered, and was raised. The boat can now be viewed at the German Armed Forces Museum of Military History in Dresden.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 20:34:30 +0000
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