American Submarine Alligator (1862)
Contemporary artist's rendering of Alligator |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | Alligator mississippiensis |
| Ordered: | 1 November 1861 |
| Builder: | Neafie & Levy |
| Launched: | 1 May 1862 |
| In service: | 13 June 1862 |
| Fate: | Sank 2 April 1863 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 275 tons surface, 350 tons submerged |
| Length: | 47 ft (14 m) |
| Beam: | 4 ft 6 in (excluding oars); height of hull 6 ft (1.8 m) |
| Propulsion: |
1862: 16 x hand-powered oars |
| Speed: | 1862: 2 knots (3.7 km/h); 1863: 4 knots (7.4 km/h) |
| Test depth: | 6.8 ft (2.1 m) |
| Complement: | 12 - One officer, one helmsman, one or two divers, and 8 oarsmen |
| Armament: | 2 x limpet mines |
The fourth United States Navy ship called Alligator is the first known U.S. Navy submarine, and was active during the American Civil War. The first American submarine, built in the Revolutionary War era, was the Turtle; however, this craft never served in the U.S. Navy.
Read more about American Submarine Alligator (1862): Construction, Operational History
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