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47k | The Hunley actually sank three times during its career before she was finally successful. On August 29, 1863, the Hunley was swamped while moored by a passing ship when swells entered its open hatches. Five of its nine crewmen drowned. On October 15, 1863, the Hunley sank with all hands when unable to recover from a dive. The crew was unable to release the ballast which would have enabled them to resurface. All eight crewmen drowned which included H.L. Hunley. The third sinking was on Feb 17, 1864 when George E. Dixon and the Hunley made a night attack against the USS Housatonic, an 1800 ton blockading warship mounting 23 guns. The Hunley rammed the Housatonic with a harpoon-like spar, having an explosive charge of about ninety pounds attached to it. After embedding the spar into the Union warship's wooden side, the Hunley backed off several yards; a lanyard was pulled inside the submarine triggering the explosive charge against the Housatonic's hull. The Union warship sank, becoming the first victim of a submarine attack in history. There was to be a pre-arranged blue carbide signal from the Hunley that the attack had been completed and that the sub was coming home. This signal was actually observed from shore. The Hunley however was lost and not rediscovered for another 131 years until the found by author Clive Cussler and his team from the National Underwater and Marine Agency in partnership with the South Carolina Institute of Anthropology and Archaeology. On August 8th, 2000 at 8:37 a.m. the Hunley was lifted to the surface by a crane from the Clarissa B. 136 years after setting out on its attack. Photo is a facial re-creation of George E. Dixon by Sharon Longs for National Geographic Magazine. |
Bill Gonyo | |
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93k | USS Dixon (AS-37) underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1974 |
Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. | |
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43k | USS Dixon (AS-37) tending submarines at Diego Garcia, date unknown. | Contributed by Dave Gibson to Randy Guttery's Tendertales web site |
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55k | USS Dixon (AS-37) and USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37) side by side at Diego Garcia. After a 60-day deployment Samuel Gompers turned over the job of Indian Ocean fleet repairs to Dixon, date unknown. US Navy photo by PH3 Book. |
Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. | |
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28k | USS Dixon (AS-37) underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo |
Courtesy Randy Guttery Tendertales web site |
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84k | USS Dixon (AS-37) tending submarines at Sub Base San Diego, circa 1977-79 | Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman | |
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53k | USS Dixon (AS-37) tending submarines at Sub Base San Diego, date unknown. | Robert Hall USS Tidewater | |
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66k | USS Dixon (AS-37) underway, date and location unknown. | Robert Hall USS Tidewater | |
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2469k | USS Dixon (AS-37) in her berth at Sub Base San Diego, 1 July 1982. In the foreground the large harbor tug Washtucna (YTB-826) nudges the Los Angeles class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN-701) into her berth outboard of the 594 class attack submarine USS Plunger (SSN-595).
. DVIC photo # DN-ST-83-10231 by PH2 Randy Hays. |
Defense Visual Information Center | |
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