USS Housatonic
Sloop Of War · United States · Lost 1864 · The Georgia & South Carolina Coast
The first warship in history sunk by a submarine, torpedoed by the Hunley off Charleston in February 1864.
The Vessel and Her Loss
The Housatonic was a wooden steam sloop of war built in 1861 and serving on the blockade of Charleston. On the night of 17 February 1864 the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley drove a spar torpedo into her hull, and she sank quickly with the loss of several of her crew. It was the first time a warship had been sunk by a submarine. Her remains, heavily salvaged, lie buried off the harbour entrance.
Vessel
- 1861
- Not established
- Not established
- Wood
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Steam and sail
- Not established
Loss
- February 17, 1864
- Enemy action
- Off Charleston, South Carolina
- Atlantic Ocean
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 25 to 30 feet
- Buried in sediment; extensively salvaged after the war.
- Not established
- Not established
- Sunken military craft of the United States Navy.
Position
- 32.71° N 79.77° W
- Reported, unconfirmed
- Charleston, South Carolina
Evidence
Overall confidence: Well documented (90/100)
The present extent of the buried remains is not established in the sources reviewed.
Naval History and Heritage Command
Service record, sinking, casualties.
South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology
Site condition and salvage history.
