David Bushnell

From Freepedia

Image:Bushnell-turtle-big.jpg David Bushnell (1742 - 1824) of Saybrook, Connecticut, was an American inventor during the Revolutionary War. He is credited with creating in 1775, while studying at Yale University, the first submarine ever used in combat, known as the Turtle. His idea of using water as ballast for submerging and raising his submarine is still in use today, as is the screw propellor, which was first used in the Turtle. While at Yale he proved that gunpowder exploded under water. He also invented the first time bomb. He combined his ideas in an attempt to attack British ships which were blockading New York Harbor in the summer of 1776 by attaching underwater bombs to their hulls, but due to bad luck failed every time, and the Turtle eventually sank.

Source: "David Bushnell and his turtle - The story of America's first submarine" By June Swanson Illustrated by Mike Eagle

External links

• Virtual American Biographies on David Bushnell

• Inventor of the Week