Greatest Mysteries of the Civil War: The Lost Ironclads and Submarines

This explores the ship wreck sites of the USS Monitor and the CSS Hunley also showing archaeological, technical, and operational information on each vessel design.

[@model-man7802]

I'm from Hampton Roads where all this took place and The Monitors remains are at the Mariners Museum in Newport News and anyone interested the Museum has a great collection of items from the sea from across time.

[@Bill23799]

It is rare that Clive Cussler gets the credit he deserved for finding the CSS Hunley.

[@marks1638]

One of the members of my family, of Irish ancestry, who settled in the New York was on the USS Monitor. I discovered it accidently many years ago while visiting Fort Monroe (we were at the US Army Documents Facility nearby) and the Fort is next door. A memorial to the crew was on the pillar near one of the old gun positions facing Hampton Roads. I was surprised to see the name (it's not a common Irish name). When I did some research, it turned out to be a branch of my family. From what I can find he was recruited fairly quickly after arriving in the US (speaking primarily Gaelic), which must have made life interesting on the ship. He was at the "Battle of the Ironclads" and later survived the sinking of the USS Monitor during the storm. He was lucky, as another member of the same family branch was a crew member on the USS Maine. He was assigned to the engine compartment as a Fireman 1st Class and didn't survive the 1898 explosion. His body was never identified, and he may or may not be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with the other unidentified crew members. The rest of my family (at least in my area) all served in Army or Air Force during WWI, WWI, Korea, and Vietnam, maybe they knew something about being on a ship.

[@panzerabwerkanone]

Ireland's greatest export has been it's people.

[@stevelangstroth5833]

Fun fact: Prior to the American Civil War, a Swede named, John Ericsson tried selling the idea of a turreted ironclad gunboat to Emperor Napoleon III, but he said "Non merci." Then, he came to America. The rest is history.

[@eriklucidor422]

🇸🇪✌️🇸🇪

[@WyteXLighting]

Confederates made the best ironclads I have a feeling they still do [>

[@allanallione4766]

GREAT AND EXCELLENT ! DOCUMENTARY OF CIVIL WAR IRONCLAD BOATS AND SUBMARINE TECHNOLOGY ! THANK YOU !

[@MoltenUprisingMK]

I have this tremendous fascination with the ironclads. They were a tremendous leap in technology, but they were far from perfect. Bad things could and sometimes did happen. Building one back in the 1860's must've been like building an advanced robot today.

[@scottjosen2606]

Great fan of the Hunley, its crews and its contribution to naval history. Also glad to kind a bit of support to ' Friends of the Hunley' by means of the purchase of replicas. One being of the vessel's signal lamp and others of the bullet dented and then inscribed coin carried by the Captain. If in the Low Country of South Carolina I highly recommend a visit to the Hunley museum in Charleston.

[@colvinator1611]

Yet one more amazing part of the history of the USA. Discovering and preserving these vessels is a great achievement and a legacy of the heroes that operated them along with the designers and builders.Thanks very much. Colin ( UK )

[@trioultimo]

The coin story.. chilling, breathtaking. Wow.

[@gregorybathurst7171]

Remarkable documentary , tragic thou the civil was ,it's wonderful that restoration can piece together accurate history of past events bringing to light the real history from speculation.

[@garrettsweeney3945]

I am so happy that those poor sailor's, North or South, Black or White at least got a Christian burial. May the rest of the lost souls who lie on the ocean floor, be afforded the same honour and dignity. May the good Lord bless them all.

[@cgdeery]

What an amazing find...the watch..and coin..amazing..

[@netherwent2725]

A fascinating documentary! After watching it I was reminded that in 1863 my ancestor sailed a 650 ton barque with a cargo of coal, loaded here in South Wales. His destination was Havana, Cuba. My guess is that the coal would have found its way to the Confederate forces and been used to fire the boilers of their ironclads.

[@kdrapertrucker]

I had a couple great, great grandfather's that fought at the battle of Petersburg in the Indiana Infantry, one of them was killed there.

[@grahamsawyer831]

never knew there were international volunteers in the civil war. very interesting, good documentary

[@kevinpittman2517]

wow the remains and the artifacts were amazing

[@jordanhicks5131]

The boys who died in the Hunley were pioneers who need to be remembered

[@Thunderchild-gz4gc]

They were traitors

[@jordanhicks5131]

@@Thunderchild-gz4gc maybe in your eyes but they are the base on which the great US submarine fleet stands upon. Give them the respect they deserve as pioneers of amazing technology, they were the equivalent of the Apollo missions astronauts in the 1860s. War is well over buddy, respect the achievements

[@raytycker1656]

@@Thunderchild-gz4gc still better than a scumb bag commie yank. 🖕

[@eq1373]

@@Thunderchild-gz4gc traitors to who?

[@panzerabwerkanone]

@@Thunderchild-gz4gc The patriots who founded the United States of America were considered traitors too!

[@maagu4779]

I am sure that the Monitor, was no longer considered classified, however when they reconstructed the bilge pump I couldn't help noticing that it was patented. Those plans would be a big help in it's reconstruction.

[@davidgiles4681]

Commodore Dupont had 1st hand experience with the Iron Clads. He came up with the following combat experienced opinions: The screw was under powered for the Charleston SC Blockade. It did not have the power to account for the strong currents. They constantly were caught in the weeds. Wooden Paddle boats had to constantly remove them from said weeds. If a cannon shell struck the turret and damaged it too much, the turret stuck in one location. The opening gun ports either stuck in the open or closed position. They rarely worked like they should have. The Steam system tended to lock up the turret and prevent the turrets to turn properly. they were extremely hot inside. Sailors opted to sleep on the decks The time for repairs were far too long (much longer than wooden warships of the era). They made excellent anchored batteries (with a functioning turret and gun ports, the made superior multi-directional sea born batteries). Commodore Dupont wrote to his superiors that this class of ship was not combat worthy and should be pulled from combat until the "kinks" had been resolved. Commodores' superiors removed him from command because they did not like direct combat experience. They were ships too far ahead of their time. They had to mature some more. Commodore Dupont wanted ships that he could rely upon and thus count upon doing what the Blockade was intended and not pulling ships out of trouble.

[@davidgiles4681]

That is not to say that they matured into a very capable combat ship. But, 1st hand combat experience (of the new class) did not sit well with Commodore Dupont. digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=history_etds www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CZIC-e595-m7-s74-1988/html/CZIC-e595-m7-s74-1988.htm

[@jimschnars2866]

I read years ago they didnt believe the monitor could withstand the amount of water coming in by the turret and to tow with abetter idea jacked up the turret and stuffed it with oakum when the oakum washed out the ship sunk . Ericsson had designed it with x amount of leakage and pumps capable of more than handling it

[@RickaramaTrama-lc1ys]

Excellent video and was very much appreciated by an old sailor~!!!

[@Stitchwitchstitch]

Seeing their faces gave me chills- I’m glad they aren’t forgotten.

[@hueysingleton6441]

That was great thank you so very much keep up the good work

[@Funlu]

The photograph at 6:18 is striking to me. A crew of men who, before the battle, had no idea what would happen. Those are true heroes. Young men who grew up in pre-industrial, hard times who ended up commanding the pinnacle of the world's naval technology. What an interesting time in history.

[@lovechild2603]

Well said. I absolutely agree 💯

[@chrisbolland5634]

Tests on the hunley have been done since, and medical experts agree that the concussion from the explosion killed the sailors outright from collapse of the soft lung and brain issue. They felt very little or no pain.

[@jimclarke1108]

Great work

[@davidponseigo8811]

There were three sister subs to the Hunley built in Shreveport, Louisiana at the end of the War but are missing to this day.

[@tee1up785]

Great video!!

[@rtjmlive7097]

These ships were ahead of their time!

[@8literbeater]

I think they were right on time.

[@quintinout]

No, i I am sure they were built in the time it said. If they were built before the war they would not have been used.

[@nicholasholloway8743]

Rtjm Live well think about it, made us realize how much of an advantage using metal instead of timbers, pop probably one of the reasons our 1900s era battleships,dread knots,and the hunley, it's was a prequiset to the cigar shaped design we used all the way up to to ww2 designs, theis new nuclear subs we have still more than less stick to this basic design.

[@quintinout]

Rtjm Live not really mate. If you look closely and follow up with more research I am sure you will find the ships were built when they said they were. It gets complicated otherwise because you have to start thinking how they were transported back into the past et.c.

[@plusxz821]

No,they were the base for dreadnoughts and the dreadnought for battleships and battleships for aircraft carriers

[@fpscanada3862]

Hand pump sub? Jeezus that would be scary

[@STho205]

The spar torpedo on the Hunley was a last minute change. The vessel was designed to hold a mine (torpedo) on her stern, dive under the target keel, release the torpedo and drag it by line into the hull to explode on contact while the sub continued away at top speed. That sea torpedo (mine) was designed in Mobile. Typical Confederate rams (built like the Virginia) carried Singer spar torpedo's to use their great mass to jam the torpedo into the target hull and back off. CSN Davids (semi submerged steam boats) did that too. Military experience said that was better. Switching such a kayak shaped light vessel to the ram method, may have doomed Dixon's crew, due to their success. Imagine sinking just below the surface, cranking up to ramming speed, jab the target, then, with hand cranks, back off at nearly no speed to trigger the torpedo by line, but it detonated with the sub still attached. Likely she was swamped by the gigantic hydro concussion. Remember the hydrodynamic engineer, Hunley,was dead and couldn't object on engineering grounds.

[@Cooliofamily]

S Tho Hunley*

[@STho205]

MATT ESCO Thanks. Autocorrect and didn't notice. Chrome tablets are programmed in India so their guesses at proper names and some words are bizzare. Will fix. I had noticed the autocorrect at the bottom (his name) but not toward the top. Wire on man!

[@nicholasholloway8743]

S Tho nice to know more than just what's in the video, I don't know why but all the wars in history, the civil war enthralls me the most

[@ChicagoGuerrillaJournalist]

Excellent!

[@AJdet-2]

The USS monitor is the first stealth vessel. There were Rumblings that the South was working on radar

[@bigimskiweisenheimer8325]

I have the same feeling I do about A-10's as I do these Iron Clads.

[@frankbs6436]

John Ericsson had an entrant the 'Novelty' as one of four locomotives competing in the 1829 Rainhill Trials. The underpowered Novelty was outclassed by George Stephenson's 'Rocket' but Ericsson went on to start a naval revolution.

[@robertengland8769]

The movie Sahara, featuring an ironclad called the Texas, is what spiked my interest in ironclad ships.

[@philipvernejules9926]

....... Monitor vs the Virginia,,, its almost like robot wars.

[@calebshuler1789]

The Hunley crew were VERY BRAVE MEN

[@jeanmeslier9491]

My Great-Grandfather fought in the War of Northern Aggression. I still have the musket he carried. This war was actually the first modern war. What makes it different from all other wars before was it was that for the first time the public could see photographs of the servicemen and knew the names of the combatants. One could see the places where their friends and family fought. That made the war up close and personal, in a strange way. Photography changed the way we see and understand war.

[@jaminova_1969]

As did my Great-Grandfather who immigrated from Ireland and enlisted in the Union Army. There were terrible losses on both sides. You are very lucky to have a piece of your family's history! I have a photograph of my Great-Grandfathers unit and a brief paper trail.

[@nowthisnamestaken]

@@jaminova_1969 God bless your great grandfather who saved this great nation. Bless him and you. I know you didn't have any hand in it but its nice to have landed on the nice side of that coin flip or whatever the odds might have been.

[@nowthisnamestaken]

War of Northern aggression? Wow! Lets not forget who started the war, who seized arsenals and mints & federal works. Demanded surrender of American fortifications meant to protect the great nation. That war was about traitors trying to destroy this nation. To fly an American flag Was a crime in the south. You had to hide your flag in the south if you were an American and trapped there. Hide your flag for they will come for it and try to seize it.... Imagine that kind of America. It happened in the 1860's No joke. It was the "Slavery War", the war of Northern salvation.

[@drudown76]

Get over it

[@cw5894]

The lost cause is a myth

[@a_wisepenny9227]

the name "iron clad" is cooler than "battleship"

[@thatguywhocleansaquariums4839]

I love the ironclads and their prestige in evolving war shipbuilding but you have to agree battleships would have been quite a spectacle to the ironclad engineers. So they are both marvels that compliment each other.

[@jack18over]

Enter……. The Dreadnaught

[@paulmoser486]

@@thatguywhocleansaquariums4839 55

[@iphuqdyrmum]

​@@thatguywhocleansaquariums4839 hey. Hey.just I wish I knew someone that could clean my nasty.ass saltwater fishy tank

[@tonyromano6220]

Much larger.

[@volsonrockytop690]

We've toured the CSS Neuse Museum at 100 N Queen St, Kinston, NC 28501 and the reproduction located at 118 N Herritage St, Kinston, NC 28501. While you're in Eastern North Carolina you also need to visit the Historic towns of New Bern and Beaufort. Both have Revolutionary and Civil War History ties.

[@mo07r1]

And NO mention of the TURTLE? -From the Revolutionary war, which was a one man submarine that attacked the HMS Eagle, that was saved by its metal sheet that was under the water line? They are acting like the Civil War was the first time a submarine "successful", but failing to recognize that about 75 YEARS BEFORE, a Sub nearly took out the first enemy ship. smh...

[@Howler-fn8ln]

mo07r1 nearly took out a ship, not successfully.

[@STho205]

The Turtle didn't come close to a sinking, but was able to come alongside the Eagle. The idea of angering into a large vessel while bobbing in a small diving bell that was not going to work EVER.

[@buckbuck9225]

Well done..

[@highjumpstudios2384]

I think that the people saying the Monitor wouldn't float didn't have a good grasp of buoyancy. You can get lead to float if you shape it correct enough.

[@SteveB357]

My ex-mother-in-law's grand relative (uncle or somesuch) was on the Hunley. He was buried in the football field; she was in the parade for the reinternment.

[@screamingeagle3032]

That’s pretty cool!

[@stevewheatley243]

This was highly interesting. Especially when they found Capt. Dixon's gold coin,given to him by his sweetheart. It's romantic.

[@richardcall7447]

From what I learned from another documentary, the ultimate cause of the Monitor's loss was because someone on the crew INSISTED on lifting the turret and stuffing oakum in the gap between the turret and the deck, which would have worked on a WOODEN ship, but was useless on an iron ship.

[@PanzerBuyer]

I liken it to the Challenger Shuttle disaster. Someone overruled engineering sense and insisted on rubber O-rings that failed. Likewise on the Monitor the original design could lower the turret flush against the deck, but again engineering was overruled and knowitalls put oakum in there which failed in heavy seas.

[@Jagdtyger2A]

Had the commanding officer of the CSS "Virginia" ordered that when ever a gun could be brought to bear on the "Minnesota" while fighting the "Monitor", she could still have rendered the stranded Union warship unfit for service and achieved a victory for the South. But it is small things like this and leaving its wrought iron armor piercing rounds at port are the type of things which history turns upon

[@garyrunnalls7714]

I love Civil war maritime history.

[@Jagdtyger2A]

If you want to cover an ironclad ship, try the "Steven's Battery"

[@noahpage7459]

Here’s my question.. if the Virginia wasn’t sustaining damage from the monitor, why did it bother to duke it out for 4 hours with a ship it also wasn’t damaging rather than returning its focus to the Minnesota/other union ships 🤔

[@madmike131369]

Monitor was Between the Minnesota and by the Time the Mermack/ Virginia could Get a Clean shot the Minnesota was out of range and the Virginia was in full combat with the Monitor

[@deoglemnaco7025]

Because there was a lot of tension on both sides.

[@johnemerson1363]

The CSS Virginia had a very big turning radius while the USS Monitor could turn inside her and kept getting in the way.

[@thomasaquinas5262]

I see no mystery as to the loss of the Hunley and the Monitor. Neither of them were particularly seaworthy, the Hunley particularly subject to battle damage too. The Monitor, with its inadequate pumps, inadequate hull, and top-heavy turrent, was just begging to roll-over or otherwise founder.

[@panzerabwerkanone]

Both were built for coastal or harbor defense, not the open ocean.

[@theonewhoknows2]

They found out what killed them, the concussion from the blast did them in.

[@alanluscombe8a553]

Hunley killed 2 entire crews before it ever scored a kill. And then its 3rd crew also died in that event.

[@TheStapleGunKid]

It even killed it's own inventor.

[@jordanhicks5131]

@J. FK no different than guys who go to space, some folks have that pioneer spirit where they say "I'll have a go"

[@panzerabwerkanone]

@J. FK All volunteers. They were patriots to their cause and their country. The Confederacy was desperate to break the blockade.

[@johnemerson1363]

@J. FK No, they believed in their cause and like any good patriot were willing to take great risks for what they considered a great reward.

[@rahtorenripcore1699]

Love history this stuff both land sea. The history and others but seeing some case touch it connects you to your past androids wonder other cultures. Understanding sometimes.

[@DanteKenchi]

nice docu, a bit sadd that the sailors of the sub had a simple funeral with re-enactment ppl, while the other had a full state funeral, but ok w/e i guess

[@GFSLombardo]

What is the big mystery? The sailors on both sides were incredibly courageous but these vessels were "death traps" and the crews probably knew it. It was war. Brave people die. Cut all involved some slack ...

[@Oscuros]

Why is there always some piss their pants yank commentator always making that comment? Yeah, we get that YOU'D shit your pants and lose the plot, why you always imagine people doing that in war, but that's not what everyone actually does in war. It also does not excuse the fact that you guys are really famous for always panicking and shooting your own side, like we lost more men to you than the enemy in the Gulf war. There's no excuse for incompetence or being stupid or being a fucking coward, especially when other people don't do that and the majority don't either. People can make objective comment to learn from things so we don't do it again. If we did things like Johnny shitpants over here, we'd never learn anything, because we're always cutting incompetent dickheads slack because they just shot their buddy, 'cuz they woz skeered. Fuck off, yank; grow some fucking balls and stop whingeing.

[@tonyromano6220]

Gary L over thinking history!

[@tonyromano6220]

Oscuros LoL, tad over excited?

[@nowthisnamestaken]

Lets cut no slack for those involved long gone to history. The truth is most important here for there was so much sacrifice to save this great nation from fragmentation and disintegration. Let us always remember that only ONE side fought for the constitution and carried the American flag. Only one sides flag had a star for every state in the nation. That nasty rebel Dixie flag had 13 stars but only 11 states claimed to have left the great one nation. How did that happen? This is what happens when traitors get to 'trait'n' . They didn't leave America, they meant to destroy America. To steal from it with banditry and raiders in the territories and open warfare in the states. We have lost respect for that generation of Americans-the greatest generation ever, who put their lives on the line-more than a quarter million Americans killed in the field or murdered in the disgusting confederate death camps like Andersonville. They put their lives on the line for good government and freedom-the constitution, the flag and all for which it stands.They did it for OUR generation. Every generation that came after them and they knew it then-God bless them.While the other fought to tear it apart over a sick, foul and corrupt institution called slavery. They cried over their perceived yet unrealized loss of property and their stifled attempts to pursue happiness with their slavery enterprise. They tried to gain control of government in all its branches but Abe Lincoln put a stop to that by the peaceful means of the ballot box. The slavers could not abide and 90% of the rest has been forgotten or reworked into a mishmash of I don't know what.

[@chipschannel9494]

Like flying the ball. Huge cast iron balls . Iron men in iron ships .

[@samcolt1079]

I have seen them both. The monitor is at Newport news Virgina and the hunley is in Charleston,N.C. Go see them if you get a chance. You will be amazed.

[@Phukugoooglification]

Since they were volunteers second go on the Hunley, and it was pitch dark under water... wonder how good the crew would have been if they were all blind naturally. They might have been a better fit for the crew of Hunley.

[@awsomeoperation2405]

The t95 of its day (I know the t95 never saw service)

[@BilgePump]

0:18 Clyde Smith AKA Dirk Pitt.

[@jedcletis9313]

at 9:20 -They didn't get the body parts mixed up ...

[@josephturner4047]

First joy stick steering my arse. That's how the Matthew is steered.

[@riderstrano783]

I'd like to take a look at the engine

[@alanluscombe8a553]

Do you mean on the union sub? Was it a steam engine? I always thought the hunley was pedalled by the crew but honestly im no civil war historian

[@mattsmodelboats6942]

@@alanluscombe8a553 Hunley, the Confederate sub, was hank-cranked. The Union monitor had a vibrating-lever steam engine, I think, designed by John Ericsson himself.

[@alanluscombe8a553]

@@mattsmodelboats6942 cool thanks!!! Hey i saw yoyr name do you build model ships? Ive built and flown giant scale gas rc planes for almost 20 years and i keep wanting to build ship models but ive never built any. Just like big plastic models or a old wood sailing ship would be awesome.

[@mattsmodelboats6942]

@@alanluscombe8a553 No problem, I am working on a model of a civil war era ironclad right now haha. I made a Confederate ironclad and a Union ironclad in the past but I like to think my skills are getting better with each one I make. I've made a few Brazilian ones from the Paraguayan War too. That sounds pretty cool, I've watched some large-scale Rc plane videos on youtube and I was impressed. You should try making ship models yourself, if you're interested, there's lots of different materials that you can make them from.

[@email4664]

If you watched the actual video, you would see that it was powered by the men inside, turning a crank by hand

[@josephturner4047]

If the Monitor had had a drop keel I think she may have got away with it. And breech loaders of course. And a telegraph system for coms. Instead of voice tubes. All available at the time.

[@panzerabwerkanone]

Breech loaders were still new and not quite trusted. Also few of the ones that did exist were as powerful as 11 inch Dahlgrens.

[@tuanvandersluis4433]

this are war gravy. men died in this ships. this are U.S solders. show respect to them.

[@troyjohnson8248]

Rip hero's ;'(

[@1337fraggzb00N]

*heroes

[@michelepainter9553]

Does anyone know how did they manage to pull the Monitor up?

[@johnemerson1363]

The hull of the monitor is still on the bottom. They managed to lift the turret by means of a specially designed circular claw that enclosed and held the entire turret as it came up.

[@markhonerbaum6988]

If you're that intused, try the replica as there are no replacements.

[@chickey333]

Signing up for duty on the Hunley almost seems like being a volunteer on a kamikaze mission.

[@johnemerson1363]

Every one of them believed they could pull it off. Near suicide,perhaps, but they knew there was a chance of success and survival. Those men were not suicidal, but were very brave.

[@EQINOX187]

The sub is hardly a mystery as it is pretty dang obvious what happened, if the explosive was that big and that close to the sub the shock wave would have killed the crew instantly and would not necessarily have done damage to the sub its self, as we have seen from history and even shows like myth busters a tiny charge can be fairly harmless in air but deadly to anyone close when it goes off under water, so it is obvious that they stuck the ship just under the surface then detonated the charge that instantly killed the crew and pushed the sup back and out the water to the surface where it then sank again.

[@samuelparker9882]

BINGO! Why the designer didn't think of that is beyond me; because by that time in history and warfare, they ABSOLUTELY knew and understood about explosive charges under water. The Chinese have known for 1000 years or more before that; being the inventors of explosives, no matter how primitive in the beginning.

[@southernrailwayfan1338]

....they said that the union soldiers saw the sub roll away

[@heinrichvonwicker168]

The sub signaled shore after the attack....

[@panzerabwerkanone]

@@heinrichvonwicker168 Actually no it did not. Rumors abound that a blue signal lamp was seen by soldiers but when the Hunley was raised and archived no lamp was found in the submarine. Forensics also have now concluded that all the crew died from the concussion of the torpedo and the Hunley simply floated out with the current and sank about 500 yards in the opposite direction of the planned escape route. There were no signs that the crew had tried to surface, all the crew still in their assign positions, no outward visible damage to the sub from the explosion, all the vision ports were intact, and the emergency ballast block release levers were still in the locked position.

[@lokalkakan]

Submarine ? it seems more like it was a man driven torpedo

[@donscheid97]

North or south, doesn't matter. Soldiers fighting for their side deserve honor. Nice to see historians still believe that. Impressive video of 2 firsts, submarines and turrets.

[@skipd9164]

I agree 100 percent. Each soldier fought for there side even though there were far different reasons created by political decisions

[@tinklvsme]

I couldn't go in that Sub, I must of drowned in a past life, it's scary to me!

[@nicholasholloway8743]

Michele Conley I know how you feel, I've never had any tragic incidents concerning water yet im deathly afraid of drowning. Scary isent it, the thought of possible past lives

[@1339LARS]

John Ericsson, the swedes strike again !!

[@iMutt-yy6vf]

Immigrants get it done!

[@strikerorwell9232]

Im a Brit and a veteran. I dont know how many different Swedish weapon systems we have imported or built on licence from Bofors and SAAB Aerospace in the British army and air force?

[@1339LARS]

Plenty !!

[@chipschannel9494]

The screw propeller.

[@therrienmichael08]

You never hear about civil war maritime.

[@Dan.IdahoNorthernRy]

everyone seams to forget about the ARW Sub called 'The Turtle'

[@thra5herxb12s]

😢

[@phillipbruce2741]

Hampton roads fantasy. It was not a one day battle but three. On the fourth day the Monitor refused to engage the "Merrimac" in battle, or for any day there after. For a month the Merrimac was the undisputed master of the water sinking and burning ships. Eventually Union ground troops attacked the Merrimac at dock at night. To keep the ironclad from falling into Union hands, it was burned by the Confederates.

[@MJanovicable]

Nope, the outcome was a draw and the blockade held. Nice try, loser.

[@leannanderson7173]

Who is the narrator? His voice sounds very familiar.

[@petesmith9472]

There is an ironclad dreadnought with two of those turret things sitting off Black Rock which can be seen at low tide. To this day it has me buggered why a billionaire enthusiast doesn't put up the cash to raise and restore it. My understanding is that it is the last and only dreadnought in the world.

[@alisterbennett]

HMVS Cerberus? Not a dreadnought.. Apparently it is a "breastwork monitor" Note the all capital 'ships of the line' were known as Battle Ships until HMS Dreadnought, and ships like her, were build.

[@Stormbringer2012]

I know I left that ironclad around here somewhere......

[@bobbrooks80]

As to who found the Hunley first, Google Spense and Hunley.

[@hugbug4408]

European powers were concerned bout the industrial might of the north and the military prowess of both north and south.The usa was @ its height militarily .European powers sent military observers to c wat america was up 2.

[@markzimmerman7279]

So why did they go through the trouble of raising them ,I've heard in the great lakes wrecks are not to be molested since they are toombs..

[@noname-wo9yy]

"ahead of its time" kills everyone on board 3 times sure

[@jacobmccarthy7406]

even NASA had its growing pains.

[@chrishamilton2559]

Chems Fan here is a classic example of an internet know it all who has no idea what it takes to be cutting edge. Thanks for sharing!

[@nicholasholloway8743]

Jacob McCarthy yep mercury mission tragedies, Apollo 13,ec ec

[@noname-wo9yy]

chris hamilton cost effectiveness was low and had a 0% survival rate. And the technology was not developed further given that the UK where the first to develop a working I.e. not killing everyone inside of it sub and being used in a war patrol. So it is just classic American documentary exaggeration.

[@chrishamilton2559]

Chems Fan cost effectiveness has NEVER had anything to do with cutting edge weaponry. In fact, the greater measure of an experimental weapon system's importance might in fact be exactly how much money someone was willing to throw at it! The fact that a nation which had just spent it's resources fighting itself and chose not to make even greater expenditures on a burgeoning technology in the subsequent era of peace is only logical. Are you daft, or do you just play one on TV?

[@josephturner4047]

Ah. That's where they went wrong. Putting a soldier in charge of a submarine.

[@letoubib21]

A fish would have been better *. . .*

[@marcusjustice6165]

The Revolutionary War Submarine Turtle was also piloted by a Continental Army Soldier.

[@elgato5964]

About 1 minute in and get the " wouldn't even float " I'm done

[@email4664]

good for you quitter.

[@thurin84]

for the hunleys crew to have die in their positions they pretty much have to have died at the time of the explosion.

[@johnostrander8799]

Audio is poor, very scratchy sounding. No attempt to clear it up worked.

[@herbertmilley911]

Sorry buddy. The turret on this ship was not 8 inches thick. Why? Did the enemy have armor piercing ammo?

[@rustlemyjimmys]

I enjoyed this, but I've got to say, I do love an American documentary for all of the various innovations they claim 😂 I mean jeez I can go 10 minutes down the road and jump on HMS Warrior... a sea going ironclad... made before the American Civil war. Pretty sure we owe the battleship to vessels like that and not a armoured barge 🙈

[@HatchMaster308]

B o n g

[@raytycker1656]

Oh shut up Brittan is not even relevant. Hell Merica had to save y'alls wimpy asses from Germany twice.

[@phillipbruce2741]

As usual the victors write history. The monitor did not succeed in stopping the ravages of the Virginia (merrimac). Refer to the personal memoirs of both captains and the letters of British sailors present who witnessed the battles.

[@AvengerII]

You're not looking at the bigger picture here. The Monitor stopped the onslaught. It made the CSS Virginia blink. That was enough. Once they knew the Monitor was there, they didn't try to attack any more ships. The Virginia stopped what it was doing because the Monitor was in the way but they didn't manage to sink that ship. The battle may have ultimately been a stalemate but they accomplished the goal of NOT letting the Confederate steamship run loose and sink more Union ships. Go on believing what you will but the record stands. The Monitor checkmated the Virginia, period. Neither ship had a long service life but with the Monitor in place the Virginia couldn't run loose and do whatever it wanted. The other ship could be placed to stop it which it did. They made 40 ships like the Monitor and it influenced battleship designs for decades afterwards. The turret was probably the most successful innovation of that little ship. How many battleships and smaller cruisers since it day HAVEN'T had turrets? I think that speaks for the success of what was accomplished in the Battle at Hampton Roads whether you acknowledge that or not.

[@phillipbruce2741]

The Virginia went on a month long spree of destruction AFTER it was supposedly defeated by the Monitor. During this time the Monitor went into shallow water and refused to engage the Virginia in further combat. The Virginia repeatedly attempted to close with and engage the Monitor but it's 22 ft draft caused it to run aground where the Monitors 10 ft draft allowed it to escape into shallow waters. Read your history. The Virginia was unconquered on the water. That is why a special raiding force was sent by night to attack and burn the Virginia at its dock.

[@phillipbruce2741]

AvengerII actually the Monitor did not stop the onslaught of the Virginia. The Virginia continued to ravage and destroy ships for another month after it was supposedly defeated by the Monitor. It was the Monitor that blinked, and then retreated to shallow water where the Virginia could not follow, where it stayed, refusing to fight the Virginia, until the Virginia was eventually found and burned by ground troops.

[@jamesmcneely5124]

You are correct, Phillip. The Virginia scored a hit on the Monitor's most vulnerable spot, the wheel house, and the shell exploded against the vision slits, blinding the captain, John Wordon. The Monitor retreated to a shallow area where the Virginia could not follow because of her deep draft and press her advantage. Captain Buchanan of the Virginia could have did more damage if he had ignored the Monitor, since she could not inflict much damage, and concentrate on the remaining Union wooden warships, then work on the Monitor's weak spot, her wheel house. My armchair 20/20 hindsight for tonight.

[@flashinthepan3273]

Why haven't they made a movie about this?

[@fredderf3152]

There was a movie about the Hunley. Donald Sutherland was in it.

[@marcusjustice6165]

1999 TNT Original Movie: The Hunley. 1991 Turner Pictures Inc Turner Home Entertainment Movie: Ironclads.

[@michelemarcolin2548]

”A cross society..." right... lol The not rich, not aristocrats only were used inside the submarine. The black was even buried separately...

[@rahtorenripcore1699]

Monitor hard hit and hard hit waterline be hard.

[@Indianloppan]

Its the wrong flag on the gravs, was they a part of the infanteri and not the navy, navy was blue insted of red

[@ppate5439]

How did the War Graves laws factor into this project? Granted this is CSN, not USN.

[@johnemerson1363]

I would think that if you can recover ship and crew with reasonable effort, then that would be allowed. In contrast, if someone found one of our WWII boats and broke open the hull to try to try to recover a few, NO,

[@m1a2abrams52]

Monitor: of your approaching me? Virginia: no I just cant beat the shit out of you without coming any closer. Monitor: then come as close as you like! Virginia: ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA! Monitor: MUDA! MUDA! MUDA! MUDA!MUDA! MUDA!

[@johnroddy8756]

In the States the Civil war is a long time ago,not so in European History

[@eq1373]

And Europeans have the same lifespans as Americans

[@rahtorenripcore1699]

Except today now a days.

[@hughsmith7668]

Clive Cussler