The evolution of submarines

Lurking in the depths, hundreds of submarines are currently patrolling the world’s oceans, performing a range of very important, and often covert, missions.

These stealthy vessels were first widely used during World War I, with Germany’s U-boats responsible for destroying several British supply ships during the conflict, and have since changed the face of naval warfare forever.

But the story of underwater vessels didn’t start there. In fact, it started all the way back in the 1600’s with the Drebbel I. This product came from the mind of Dutch engineer Cornelius Drebbel, who designed what was essentially an enclosed underwater rowing boat.

This may have been largely ineffective for combat situations, but it began us down a path toward truly great feats in engineering, where new designs that could help us go farther and deeper than ever before would eventually be drawn.

You can explore the original innovative invention in greater detail as well as other major milestones in submarine development with our infographic below; and learn how submarines developed into the advanced titans we have today:

Click on the image for a closer look

DID YOU KNOW? In 1960, the USS Triton completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe in 60 days.

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