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b'In this episode, scientist and author Rachel Lance, joins Russell Hillier to share the story of how she solved the mystery of the H.L Hunley, the world\\u2019s first successful submarine that sank over 130 years ago during the height of the American Civil War.\\n\\xa0\\nHistorical Background\\nFebruary 1864, Charleston Harbour:\\nThere were rumours of course.\\nMen on board Union warships blockading Charleston Harbour had heard about this new contraption of war. This enemy ship that sailed unseen and under the waves. This submarine.\\nWhen the Hunley submarine launched its attack on the night of February 17, 1864, some onboard the USS Housatonic thought it was a log carried out on the tide. Others guessed right and tried to lower the angle of the ship\\u2019s cannons and when that failed, they began using musket fire to drive off the partially submerged enemy ship. All to no avail.\\nThe blast from the first ever successful submarine attack sunk the Housatonic in less than five minutes. Men clutching to Housatonic\\u2019s rigging thought they saw the enemy submarine go down as well.\\nThus began the mystery of just what exactly happened to Hunley submarine.\\nWas the submarine destroyed in the blast?\\nDid a \\u201clucky shot\\u201d from a sailor\\u2019s musket punch a hole through the iron body?\\nOr was it something else entirely.\\nRachel Lance, scientist and author of \\u201cIn the Waves: My Quest to Solve the Mystery of a Civil War Submarine,\\u201d has answered the question: why did the Hunley submarine sink. Listen in to find out about the research that went into solving the mystery of the Hunley submarine.'