Submarines have a long history. In the following centuries, they have undergone great evolutions with technological developments and have reached the present day.
Unfortunately, there is no clear date on when the submarine was found, although its basic ideas emerged in the history of mankind dating back thousands of years. Let’s examine this adventure that has survived from ancient times to the present day.
Since ancient times, different designs have been tried in order to breathe and explore underwater.
B.C. In the 4th century, it is known that Aristotle speculated that the submarine could be inhabited like those above water. Also, BC. In 332, Archimedes designed a kind of air container considering the possibility of breathing underwater. This shows us that many experimental designs and prototypes of the submarine have been developed throughout history.
In the 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci sketched the design of various underwater vehicles, among which he created one of the first submarine projects capable of transporting people underwater. However, these designs were not implemented due to the lack of necessary technological infrastructure and materials at that time.
The first known submarine with certainty appears in 1620.
During the reign of King James I of England, Dutch engineer Cornelius Drebbel built a submarine. The design of this tool belongs to the English mathematician William Bourne. This design is actually considered the ancestor of modern submarines. The submarine, designed as a vehicle that moves through the water using oars, was tested in the River Thames between 1620 and 1624.
The submarine model, which passed the tests successfully, was thus started to be produced. First of all, its use in the military sense was not yet widespread, as its purpose was to view the bottom of the sea.
Another example was a sandal produced by İbrahim Efendi, who was the chief architect of the shipyard in the 18th century.
He dived in the circumcision ceremony of the princes of Sultan Ahmet III, in this sandal produced in the Ottoman Empire. On the head of the submarine, which was produced in the shape of a crocodile, there were trays of the famous zerde pilaf of the Ottoman Empire.
The construction of the submarine suitable for naval warfare was not realized until the American War of Independence. The first propeller-driven submarine was named The Turtle by an American engineer in 1775.
One of his tried but unsuccessful submarines also inspired a novel by Jules Verne.
After the construction of the submarine, the expected result could not be achieved in many trials. The first practical submarine was the “Nautilus”, developed by American inventor Robert Fulton in the early 1800s. However, the Nautilus had very limited dives and was not suitable for long underwater missions. This submarine remained the subject of a novel only.
In the 1840s, German inventor Wilhelm Bauer developed the submarine he called “Brandtaucher”. The Brandtaucher was a torpedo-laden submarine and was used in a conflict with Denmark, but without success.
Technological developments as a result of the Industrial Revolution made it necessary for the Ottoman Empire to make an innovation in this field.
In the 1880s, the Ottoman navy was in a weak state. II. Two special ships with the latest technology were ordered for the navy developed during the reign of Abdülhamit. The state, which thought that it was far behind the West, wanted to make up for its deficiencies by taking measures for this situation. The inclusion of submarines in the navy also developed as a result of such a decision.
In 1886, the first machine was launched in the Golden Horn accompanied by a ceremony. The submarine recorded successful results with every dive. The submarines, which were tested many times, thus joined the Ottoman navy on March 14, 1888, with an official ceremony.
Submarine technology gained great importance in the military field during World War I at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Germans’ submarines, known as U-Boots (U-Boots), had a major impact in warfare and were used as effective weapons against ships in naval warfare. By conducting covert operations underwater, submarines were successful in strategic tasks such as sinking enemy ships and cutting logistics chains.
II. During World War II, submarines evolved into faster, quieter, and longer submersible models. Nuclear powered ones were also developed during this period, offering longer range and higher speed, increasing the strategic importance of submarines.
Today, submarines are still used in military operations, but they also play important roles in scientific research, submarine tourism and exploration. Thanks to ever-evolving technology, submarines continue to become safer, more efficient and sustainable. Future submarine technology will allow us to explore the mysterious world under the seas even more deeply.
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