To understand how the USS Pennsylvania became the world’s most powerful killing machine we must travel back in time. Our journey begins in 1776 with the world’s first war submarine, a hollow wooden sphere with a limited supply of air.
At the height of the American War of Independence, the Americans found themselves at a severe disadvantage. Their warships were no match for the might of the British Navy so they hatched a plan that relied on guile rather than brute force. Their cunning scheme required a new kind of vessel, one that allowed a man to carry a bomb underwater. Man and bomb had to remain hidden until they reached a British battleship, once there he had to plant the bomb and escape, and he had to do it all without coming up for air.
The American engineers built their submersible craft from two hollowed out solid pieces of oak. Just like a barrel they used iron hoops to hold the two halves together and sealed the join with tar to keep the water out. There was a tank positioned below the operator and when he pumped it full of seawater the craft sank. Hidden underwater, the operator sat in his own bubble of air, it was the world’s first war submarine - they called it the Turtle.
Clip from the “Big Bigger Biggest” documentary series exploring the engineering breakthroughs that have enabled us to develop some of the largest structures in existence.
Watch the complete documentary here - • Submarines - Extreme T...
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