David Bushnell was attending Yale during the buildup to the Revolution. He participated in debates about whether war with England was a good idea. Opponents argued that the Royal Navy was too powerful and would easily blockade the Colonies, cutting off trade. When the war broke out, Bushnell returned home and began working on a vessel that could break the blockade. It would submerge and blow up British warship stealthily. Working from a shed by the Connecticut River, he built a strange craft resembled a metal egg. Bushnell named it the “American Turtle” (usually simply called the Turtle). It had fin-like paddles and two foot-controlled pumps for submerging and surfacing. Inside, the one-man crew would peddle the fins for propulsion. It could make 3 miles per hour below the water. When it got underneath the ship the idea was to attach and explosive which would be set to explode after the Turtle exited the vicinity. The submarine was tested successfully by Bushnell’s brother and transported to New York harbor to take on the British fleet. The target was the HMS Eagle, but Bushnell’s brother fell ill and a soldier named Ezra Lee was arm-twisted into making the attempt. The Turtle was towed to the area near the Eagle and then Lee was set loose. He submerged and proceeded under the ship during the night. The idea was to use an auger to bore into the ships keel and attach the dynamite. But Bushnell did not take into consideration the copper sheeting covering the wood. Lee was not able to attach the explosive and retreated. At this point the British finally spotted the strange craft and sent a boat after it. Lee decided to blow up the Turtle when the boat got near enough, but when the British got close they panicked at the sight of the bizarre creature and fled. Lee was able to set the sizzling explosive loose and it blew up harmlessly. The Turtle never sailed again.
– Ayres 43-45
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