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Turtle (submersible)
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<p><i>Turtle</i> (also called <i>American Turtle</i>) was the world's first <a href="/facts/Submersible/GQCdVLvK">submersible</a> vessel with a documented record of use in combat. It was built in 1775 by American <a href="/facts/David_Bushnell_(inventor)/qykgHGmz">David Bushnell</a> as a means of attaching <a href="/facts/Naval_mine/jo9uVY9U">explosive charges</a> to ships in a harbor, for use against the <a href="/facts/Royal_Navy/Xdy8YCH7">Royal Navy</a> during the <a href="/facts/American_Revolutionary_War/8MxJNtcU">American Revolutionary War</a>. Connecticut Governor <a href="/facts/Jonathan_Trumbull/1oypMV62">Jonathan Trumbull</a> recommended the invention to <a href="/facts/George_Washington/ucb7mE4Q">George Washington</a>, who provided funds and support for the development and testing of the machine. </p><p>Several attempts were made using <i>Turtle</i> to affix explosives to the undersides of British warships in <a href="/facts/New_York_Harbor/SHoEC86U">New York Harbor</a> in 1776. All failed, and her transport ship was sunk later that year by the British with the submarine aboard. Bushnell claimed eventually to have recovered the machine, but its final fate is unknown. Modern replicas of <i>Turtle</i> have been constructed and are on display in the <a href="/facts/Connecticut_River_Museum/sRVBJQp2">Connecticut River Museum</a>, the U.S. Navy's <a href="/facts/Submarine_Force_Library_and_Museum/Dwd777EA">Submarine Force Library and Museum</a>, the <a href="/facts/Royal_Navy_Submarine_Museum/uPERGcuT">Royal Navy Submarine Museum</a>, the <a href="/facts/International_Spy_Museum/l2XvTK83">International Spy Museum</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Oceanographic_Museum/weQrRjgw">Oceanographic Museum</a> (Monaco). </p>