# Drebbel's submarine: Royal Navy dismissed as novelty

> 1620 submarine invention ignored by Royal Navy.
- Title: Drebbel's submarine: Royal Navy dismissed as novelty
- Summary: 1620 submarine invention ignored by Royal Navy. Drebbel's 1620 submarine was dismissed by the Royal Navy as a novelty despite its engineering feat.
- Keywords: drebbel's submarine, royal navy, 1620, submarine, engineering feat, naval history, news, world, politics, Drebbel's, Royal, Navy
- Source: MercoPress — https://en.mercopress.com/2026/10/12/drebbel-s-submarine-radical-1620-invention-the-royal-navy-dismissed-as-a-novelty
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: drebbel's submarine, royal navy, 1620, submarine, engineering feat, naval history, news, world, politics
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Drebbel's 1620 submarine was dismissed by the Royal Navy as a novelty despite its engineering feat.