Today's submarines are a culmination of more than 200 years of advancing science and technology. This new design allowed greater underwater speed and maneuverability. In an effort to reduce underwater resistance, a "Tear Drop" shaped hull was introduced. Just as the USS Nautilus was nearing completion, a parallel revolution in submarine design was advancing. Nuclear power enabled submersible vessels to become "true submarines," operating underwater for indefinite periods of time. The greatest advance in submarine technology occurred on January 21, 1954, with the launch of the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered vessel. Great improvements in sensors, including RADAR and SONAR, increased the submarine's usefulness. Thirty years later, during World War II, submarines were still slow and their submersion time was limited. As their range increased, so did the size of the submarines. Endurance in undersea vessels increased to over 6,000 miles. Coal burning (steam) and gasoline engines worked, but it was not until the introduction of the diesel-electric power plant in the later part of the 19th century that submarines became viable undersea vessels.ĭiesel electric drive permitted submarines to make long-range voyages, demonstrated by the German "U-Boats" in World War I (1914-1918). Human-powered submarines continued to be used, but the need for a more powerful propulsion plant was apparent. Although unsuccessful, this marked the first use of submarines for combat. In 1776, the small human-powered "Turtle," built by David Buschnell, was used by the Colonial Army in an attempt to sink the HMS Eagle.
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