An expedition led by diver Richard Simon has discovered the wreck of the experimental submarine Defender, which was built in 1907 and sunk in Long Island Sound.
The diving team from Connecticut found the 28-meter long submarine named Defender, as reported by Guardian on April 20. Diver Richard Simon stated that he has been interested in the story of the Defender for many years. He spent months reviewing documents, underwater mapping surveys, and sonar surveys that had previously been conducted to locate any structure that matched the submarine’s dimensions.
The Defender submarine during its prime. (Photo: AP).
“It is a submarine with a very distinctive shape. It needs to be about 30 meters long with a diameter of 4 meters. So, I made a list of everything that was that long and had a target on that list,” he said.
Simon then assembled a team of divers specialized in shipwreck exploration. Poor tidal conditions forced them to abandon their exploration effort on April 14. They returned on April 16 and discovered the Defender at a depth of over 45 meters off the coast of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Simon did not want to disclose the exact depth as it could reveal the wreck’s location.
The submarine was originally named Lake, constructed by the eccentric millionaire and inventor Simon Lake, who was quite famous in the early 1900s. His company, Lake Torpedo Boat, aimed to win a contract with the U.S. Navy. This was a test submarine equipped with wheels to move along the seabed and a hatch to release divers underwater.
However, the company lost the bid for the contract. Lake renamed the vessel Defender and attempted to retrofit it for mine detection, salvage, and rescue missions. Although Lake could not find a buyer, the Defender gained fame, even being visited by aviator Amelia Earhart in 1929.
The submarine was anchored for many years in New London before being abandoned in a mudflat near Old Saybrook. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sank the vessel in 1946 but did not disclose its exact location.
Simon indicated that there are clear signs that the wreck his team found is indeed the Defender. The length, size, and shape of protrusions on the hull, as well as the shape and position of the flat diving plates, all contribute to the identification of the vessel.
Simon’s team plans to spend next summer diving to explore, film, and photograph the wreck. He has contacted the U.S. Navy to see if they are interested in preserving the wreck. Under the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1988, the Defender could be considered an archaeological or historic site rather than a commercial salvage asset.
