Short historical novel covering the war at sea during the American Civil War.
The CSS Hunley was the first true operational submarine to attack and sink a warship while at war. Submarines were not a new theory, DaVinci had designed one. One had been tried in the American Revolution albeit unsuccessfully. The American Civil War is touted as being the first "modern" war. This was due to many factors, most of them technological. Steam trains and ships were transporting troops to battlefields and firing naval salvos at targets. Compressed air was being used for different and unique purposes. The ability for mankind to operate under the waves was now a fact and not a Jules Verne fantasy. But like most technology, the know how to extract the maximum ability lagged far behind the invention. The men that volunteered to participate in the radical change to naval warfare were not suicidal, just inexperienced. Faith in new technologies is always dependant on proof of performance. Cynicism and skepticism are always in direct confrontation with the misunderstood or unfamiliar.
All new inventions are based on one simple principle: necessity. The blockade was choking the Confederacy and something had to be done to stop the incessant bombardment of civilian targets. Torpedo boats were used on the surface. But this was an obvious problematic exercise due to visibility of the craft to the vessels it meant to attack.
It is the contention that the Confederacy had the right tool but did not employ them in enough numbers to break the Union blockade. Submarine warfare was victim to impatience, boondoggling and ignorance.
