World’s first “underwater boats”- 9 Early Submarines and their inventors

On September 12, 1624, the first submarine was publicly tested in London on the Thames for King James I. From the article:

"The world’s first “underwater boats” (AKA, submarines) originated back in the 1500s. At first, these vessels were little more than glorified diving bells. They were powered by pedals and hand cranks. By the 19th century, inventors had created crude metal crafts that used engines and electricity. A few of these submarines were even used in combat. The following are nine of the early prototypes that would eventually transform into the subs we know today.

Drebbel: 1620-1624
Reconstruction of the Drebbel, Richmond upon Thames.source
Reconstruction of the Drebbel, Richmond upon Thames.

William Bourne, a British mathematician, created some of the earliest known plans for submarines. These designs were first drafted 1578, but the first working prototype wasn’t built until the 17th century. The builder was not Bourne, but a Dutch polymath and inventor named Cornelius Drebbel. At the time, he was in the employ of the British King James I. The first test drive occurred sometime around 1620. Drebbel, in the craft, dove fifteen feet beneath the River Thames in a demonstration before King James and thousands of Londoners. Sadly, none of Drebbel’s plans or engineering drawings survived to today; historians can only make guesses as to how Drebbel’s diving actually operated. The accounts we have today are divided. Some claim it submerged via a collection of bladders or wooden ballast tanks. Others suggest that a sloping bow and a system of weights were used to propel the boat underwater when it was rowed at full speed..."