This experience inspired him to develop a submersible ship capable of breaking such blockades.
Photo credit:Jan Rehschuh/Wikimedia Commons
Submarines were not a new idea.
Drebbels submarine, built of wood and propelled by oars, could stay underwater for several hours.
During the American War of Independence, the Turtle was used unsuccessfully against an English ship.
Even Napoleon became interested in the “Nautilus,” built by the American Robert Fulton in 1801.
How much Wilhelm Bauer was inspired by these predecessors is unclear.
In any case, he began studying hydraulics and ship construction.
He managed to raise some money and, together with engineer August Howaldt, started construction.
This design flaw resulted in significant instability, which likely contributed to the vessel’s eventual loss.
Wilhelm Bauer
The Brandtaucher was 28 feet long and weighed about 70,000 pounds.
It was powered by two sailors turning a large tread wheel with their hands and feet.
The third crew member, positioned at the stern of the submarine, operated the rudders and other controls.
The Brandtaucher was designed to attack enemy ships.
Inside the submarine were Bauer, the carpenter Friedrich Witt, and the blacksmith Wilhelm Thomsen.
As the submarine began to flood, it slowly sank to the bottom of the harbor.
This allowed the hatch to be opened, and the three sailors escaped to the surface.
A model of the Brandtaucher at the Bundeswehr Museum Dresden.
Photo credit:Jan Rehschuh/Wikimedia Commons
Internal mechanism of the Brandtaucher submarine in Dresden.
Learning from his previous experience with the Brandtaucher, Bauer rectified the issues that had plagued his first design.
However, during the 134th dive, the submarine became stuck in the sand on the seafloor.
A scale model of the Sea Devil is displayed at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
