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The Confederate Submarine H.L. Hunley actually sank 3 times:

August 29, 1863 - Sank during test dive preparations when dive planes were prematurely engaged.

October 15, 1863 - Failed to surface after a mock attack.

February 17, 1864 - Sank while returning to her base at Sullivan's Island, S.C., after her historic and successful attack on the Union sloop-of-war USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor.

She was salvaged after the first 2 sinkings and returned to service; however, until she was raised in 2000, her fate remained a mystery for 136 years. Long believed to have sunk as a result of the explosion from her Spar Torpedo, that is now known to be incorrect. She is now known to have survived the attack, and signaled Confederate forces at her base on Sullivan's Island that she was returning after her successful attack on the USS Housatonic. There is strong evidence which has been found during the restoration and preservation efforts (as well as forensic examination of crew remains) that her crew did not drown as believed, but that they died from a lack of oxygen.

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