Challenge X Entry # 13: Inspired by theTurtle

AdamC: Roundwood Tower the Turtle Service (31 Points)

So this location is based on alternative views of history I was trying to come up with something and since I've been doing a lot of reading about the Early American Navy the Story of the Turtle came my mind. 

The Turtle invented by David Bushnell was the the great grandparent of all submarines. You probably won't be surprised to hear that it was a failure:

At 11:00pm on September 6, 1776, Sgt. Lee piloted the submersible toward Admiral Richard Howe's flagship, Eagle, then moored off Governors Island.

On that night, Lee maneuvered the small craft out to the anchorage. It took two hours to reach his destination, as it was hard work manipulating the hand-operated controls and foot pedals to propel the submersible into position. Adding to his difficulties was a fairly strong current and the darkness creeping overhead, which made visibility difficult.

The plan failed. Lee began his mission with only twenty minutes of air, not to mention the complications of operating the craft. The darkness, the speed of the currents, and the added complexities all combined to thwart Lee's plan. Once surfaced, Lee lit the fuse on the explosive and tried multiple times to stab the device into the underside of the ship. Unfortunately, after several attempts Lee was not able to pierce Eagle's hull and abandoned the operation as the timer on the explosive was due to go off and he feared getting caught at dawn.

Replica of the Turtle

At least one historian claims the above was an invention of American propaganda to frighten the British fleet. I choose to believe the attack was attempted though it certainly failed... Now imagine if Lee had managed to attach his bomb. The Royal navy would have lost the Eagle (damaged or sunk) a great propaganda victory. Probably not enough to change the course of the war but enough to create a legacy of American grit and ingenuity and give any enemy captain within hail of the American shore ulcers.

Years latter when Thomas Jefferson was looking for a defencive naval force (he considered a deep water navy to be expensive and dangerous) he established the US Navy Turtle Service to supplement the gunboat service as a coastal defence force.

The Men of the Turtle Service using an updated version each with a two men crew a pilot and a coxswain (the original Turtle had a one man crew) of the original ship are ready to carry out attacks on any dare to violate the shores of the United states. They are armed with a torpedo activated by a timer fuse that they endeavour to attach to enemy ships before making good their escape. Death in training accidents are common and the members of the corps are viewed as somewhat unstable by their fellow in the conventional navy.

My Turtle is made form a 25mm scale buckler shield as the part of the ship that floated above the water and its barrel torpedo made from a piece of sprue. 

Points I'll claim 1 point for the Turtle and then 30 for the map point I hope you like this silly little project. 

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That is a very smart use of a buckler shield and a great bit of history.

Martin