Ictineo II
Ictineo II
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ictineo II |
| Builders: |
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| Operators: | Narcís Monturiol |
| Preceded by: | Ictineo I |
| In service: | 20 May 1865 to Dec 1867 |
| Completed: | 1 |
| Retired: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Submarine |
| Tonnage: | 46 t (45 long tons; 51 short tons) |
| Length: | 14 m (45 ft 11 in) (light hull) |
| Beam: | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) (light hull) |
| Height: | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) (light hull) |
| Installed power: | Air independent steam engine submerged; coal powered steam engine surfaced |
| Propulsion: | Screw propeller |
| Speed: | 4.5 knots surfaced |
| Endurance: | Tested to 7 hours submerged |
| Test depth: | 30 m (98 ft) |
Ictineo II was a pioneering submarine launched in 1864 by the Spanish engineer Narcís Monturiol and was the first air independent and combustion powered submarine and was the first submarine to overcome the basic problems of machine powered underwater navigation.
The Ictineo II was originally intended as an improved version of the handpowered Ictineo I. The Spanish Navy pledged support to Monturiol but did not actually supply it, so he had to raise funds himself, writing a letter to the nation to encourage a popular subscription which raised 300,000 pesetas from citizens of Spain and Cuba and was used to form the company La Navegación Submarina to develop the Ictineo II.
The Ictineo II made her maiden voyage under human power on 20 May 1865, submerging to 30 metres (98 ft). A few months later, Monturiol attempted to attract government funding by installing a cannon that could be aimed and fired from inside the submarine. After reading about the American Civil War and the attempts at submarine construction such as the CSS Hunley, the financially desperate Monturiol wrote to the US Secretary of the Navy; however, the Civil War had ended by the time the Secretary responded.
Dissatisfied with the limitations placed on him by human propulsion, Monturiol realized that the only option was steam power, but contemporary steam engines required a fire which was not an option for a submarine. To this end he invented the air independent engine.
Monturiol envisaged a new vessel, custom built to house his new engine, which would be entirely built of metal with the engine housed in its own separate compartment. However, due to the state of his finances, construction of a new vessel was out of the question, and instead he managed to assemble enough funds to fit the engine into the Ictineo II.
On 22 October 1867 the Ictineo II made its first surface journey under steam power, averaging 3.5 knots (4.0 mph) with a top speed of 4.5 knots (5.2 mph). Two months later, on 14 December, Monturiol submerged the vessel and ran his chemical engine, but without attempting to travel anywhere.
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Wikipedia