The Steinhude pike (German: Steinhuder Hecht) from 1772 is said to be the first submarine built in Germany.
Model in the Wilhelmstein Fortress, a military museum
The engineer and officer Jakob Chrysostomus Praetorius drafted a construction made of oak wood, in the shape of a fish with sails and mobile rear. Allegedly, the plan was presented to William, Count of Schaumburg-Lippe in 1762. After an initial rejection it was built in 1772 at the island fortress Wilhelmstein in a reduced version. It is said to have dived in the Steinhuder Meer, a large lake, for 12 minutes. However, as the lake has a maximum depth of 2.9 metres (9ft 6in) this claim is dubious.
While the range of the Steinhude pike must have been limited, Count Wilhelm, according to a local legend, wanted to sail to Portugal with it. However, its military purpose was to connect the fortification with the allies of Schaumburg-Lippe, especially Britain, Braunschweig-Lüneburg and Prussia in the event of a siege.
Today a model and construction plans are exhibited in the military museum Wilhelmstein. The Wilhelmstein was the planned base for the Steinhude pike.
General references
Wesk, Timm (2002). Hippopotame and Schaumburger or Steinhuder Hecht - An Amphibious Craft and a Submarine from the 18th century. The Mariner's Mirror: the Journal of the Society for Nautical Research. Vol.88. pp.271–284. doi:10.1080/00253359.2002.10656847. ISSN0025-3359. S2CID162239950.
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