From MercoPress · · 30s
Drebbel's submarine: Royal Navy dismissed as novelty
1620 submarine invention ignored by Royal Navy.
In brief
1620 submarine invention ignored by Royal Navy. Drebbel's 1620 submarine was dismissed by the Royal Navy as a novelty despite its engineering feat. Originally reported by MercoPress.
Drebbel's submarine
Drebbel built the world's first operational submarine in 1620 under King James I's patronage.
Royal Navy dismissed
The Royal Navy saw no military value in Drebbel's invention, calling it a spectacle rather than a weapon.
Engineering feat
The submarine could stay underwater for three hours with air refreshment and carry up to 16 passengers.
At a glance
Drebbel's 1620 submarine was dismissed by the Royal Navy as a novelty despite its engineering feat.
