Gymnote

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gymnote in 1889.
Gymnote in 1889.
Gymnote under way.
Gymnote under way.

Gymnote was the world's first electrical submarine, and is often considered[citation needed] as the world's first modern and fully functional submarine.

Launched on 24 September 1888, she was developed in France following early experiments by Dupuy de Lôme, and, after his death, by Gustave Zede (1825-1891), who completed the project. The name "Gymnote" is used in French to describe a sort of electrical fish, the Gymnotidae.

The submarine was built with a steel single hull, a detachable lead keel, and three hydroplanes on each side. She made over 2,000 dives, using 204 cell batteries. She was armed with two 14 inch torpedoes.

Gymnote was partly inspired by the earlier development of the submarine Plongeur, the world's first mechanically-powered submarine.

[edit] External links

Groundbreaking submarines


In other languages