SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL SUBMARINE TURTLE MEDAL

 

Jim Licaretz, one of the winners of the MEDALS250 competition, has created a Semiquincentennial art medal that departs from the usual themes of people, places, protests, and battles. Instead, it honors the innovative Revolutionary War submarine Turtle.

On the night of September 7, 1776, American Sergeant Ezra Lee piloted the Turtle into New York Harbor in an attempt to attack the British flagship, HMS Eagle. Unfortunately, the mission failed. The operator struggled with the intense currents, and upon reaching the flagship, the submarine's hand-operated drill could not penetrate the ship's metal-reinforced hull. Lee was forced to abort the mission, and the Turtle was eventually lost at sea.

Designed in 1775 by American inventor David Bushnell, the Turtle holds the distinction of being the world's first submarine ever used in combat. Built during the American Revolutionary War, this pedal- and hand-crank-powered wooden vessel was an early attempt to break the British naval blockade of New York Harbor.

Shaped remarkably like a sea turtle, the craft was constructed from hollowed-out oak bound by iron hoops and sealed with tar. The Turtle was highly innovative for its time, featuring: a treadle-driven propeller used for forward and backward movement, alongside a manual crank for vertical positioning; intake valves and a pump to take on and release water ballast for submerging and surfacing; an early ventilation device intended to provide fresh air while submerged; and a screw meant to attach a barrel-full of explosives. All of these innovations can be seen in Licaretz's medal. The pilot was meant to drill the mine into the wooden hull of an enemy ship, set a time-delay fuse, and paddle away before the detonation.

No more than 76 of the large 3 1/2 inch cold-cast bronze Turtle art medals will be made and sold for $117.76 plus $10 for shipping. Orders can be sent to the distributor Mel Wacks, 5189 Jeffdale Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91364 or call 818-225-1348.

To watch the complete video, see:
The History of Bushnell's Turtle | America's First Submarine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6dQtBUweBc&t=110s)

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