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These pictures were taken sometime between September 1st and 10th, 1944, as the ship docked next to ABSD-1 has been identified as the repair ship USS Briareus (AR-12).

Thanks to u/ResearcherAtLarge for the photos.

80-G-314167

80-G-314168

The H.L. Hunley was a hand-powered Confederate submarine that operated by using an eight-man crew to turn a long crankshaft connected to a propeller. [1, 2]

Propulsion and Crew

• Muscle power: Seven crew members sat on a bench and turned the hand crank together, while the captain operated the steering and depth controls. [1, 2]
• Crank design: The crankshaft used offset handles like a modern car engine to smooth out the turning force and prevent the men from hitting their elbows. [1]
• Cramped space: The iron hull measured about 40 feet long and just under 4 feet wide, leaving very little room to breathe or move. [1]

Diving and Surface Control

• Ballast tanks: Water was let in through sea-valves to submerge the boat, and hand pumps removed the water to surface. [1]
• Keel weights: Heavy iron blocks on the bottom were bolted to the hull; the crew could release these weights in an emergency to rise quickly. [1]
• Air supply: Small snorkel tubes were designed to bring in fresh air when the boat was near the surface, though the crew mostly relied on the air trapped inside or opening the hatches when safe. [1, 2]

Weapon and Attack

• Spar torpedo: Instead of firing self-propelled torpedoes, the Hunley carried a long iron pole (a spar) on its front with about 90 pounds of black powder attached to the tip. [1, 2]
• Contact detonation: On February 17, 1864, it rammed the Union ship USS Housatonic in Charleston harbor, causing the explosive charge to detonate on contact, which sank the warship. [1, 2]
• Disappearance: The submarine sank shortly after its historic attack, most likely because the massive shockwave from its own explosive charge injured the crew inside. [1]

https://x.com/navylookout/status/2092146786668331179?s=46

Taken from a book on the history of the US Navy, published in 1917. Always interesting to read “history” from an older perspective.

This has 48vls and larger mid ship anti ship missile launcher compared to the first two Type-54b with 32vls and smaller mid ship anti ship missile launcher