Danger beneath the waves
The Pioneer, Hunley’s initial submarine prototype, showed promising results in early trials, but its journey was abruptly cut short. As Union forces advanced towards New Orleans, the necessity to abandon the Pioneer arose, a decision that must have been disheartening for Hunley and his team. Nevertheless, undeterred by this setback, they relocated to Mobile, Alabama, determined to continue their groundbreaking work. In this new setting, they embarked on constructing a second submarine.
By January 1863, their efforts bore fruit with the launch of the American Diver. Though it was criticized for its sluggish speed, the Confederate Army, desperate for any advantage in the war, decided to employ it in their naval operations. The American Diver symbolized a glimmer of hope, an opportunity to challenge the Union’s naval superiority, even with its limitations.