 Editor in Chief Bill   | 22 May 2012 11:38 a.m. PST |
Robert Fulton, who would eventually become famous for developing steamboat travel, was also involved in developing submarines for use by the French. His first ship, the Nautilus, made two sorties against the British; his later proposal to build larger submarines was not accepted by Napoleon. Did Napoleon err? |
| Glengarry 4 | 22 May 2012 11:57 a.m. PST |
Napoleon err? Is that possible? ;) Certainly it would seem so in hindsight, but I'm sure there were still considerable technical hurdles to overcome that would've made such a project a long-shot at best. Napoleon never was all that interested in naval warfare. What were the results of the Nautilus's sorties? |
| CorpCommander | 22 May 2012 12:36 p.m. PST |
Almost certainly unworkable given our understanding of naval construction at the time. Napoleon called this one for what it was.
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| J Womack 94 | 22 May 2012 12:40 p.m. PST |
Napoleon had no money for this sort of escapade. |
| richarDISNEY | 22 May 2012 12:55 p.m. PST |
What kind of buttons did the sub have?
I kid. I kid…
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| Sundance | 22 May 2012 1:00 p.m. PST |
According to one source I've read he actually sank a hulk in harbor in demonstration for Napoleon. |
| Florida Tory | 22 May 2012 1:02 p.m. PST |
Once of the scenes in Abel Gance's movie "The Battle of Austerlitz" has Orson Welles as Fulton trying to sell the submarine to Napoleon. Rick |
| John the OFM | 22 May 2012 1:12 p.m. PST |
"Give it some bricoles, than we can talk about it."
How would you say that in French? |
| Gennorm | 22 May 2012 2:23 p.m. PST |
"I don't say the French won't come just that the French won't come by sea". It didn't seem to be a goer. |
| evilgong | 22 May 2012 8:11 p.m. PST |
Hi there Didn't Boney reject them because he thought they were not cricket. He also was cold on airpower. regards David Brown |
| stenicplus | 23 May 2012 3:03 a.m. PST |
He also was cold on airpower. Although he may have entertained the idea at some point… Madame Blanchard was a favourite of his. "She became a favourite of Napoleon, and he appointed her to replace André-Jacques Garnerin in 1804. Garnerin had disgraced himself by failing to control the balloon that he had sent up to mark Napoleon's coronation in Paris; the balloon eventually drifted as far as Rome, where it crashed into the Lago di Bracciano and became the subject of many jokes at Napoleon's expense.[10] The title given to her by Napoleon is unclear: he certainly made her "Aeronaut of the Official Festivals" ("Aéronaute des Fêtes Officielles") with responsibility for organising ballooning displays at major events,[1] but he may have also made her his Chief Air Minister of Ballooning, in which role she is reported to have drawn up plans for an aerial invasion of England.[11]" link
And to keep it wargaming….
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