Once, and only once, has a submarine boat succeeded in inflicting any damage on an enemy in actual warfare. This was during the American Civil War when one of the Confederate _Davids_ succeeded in blowing up the Federal frigate _Housatonic_, and in annihilating itself at the same time. Before this event under-water vessels had attempted to destroy hostile craft, but with no success. In 1776 Bushnell’s diving torpedo-boat made an attack on the English frigate _Eagle_, and in 1777 on the English man-of-war _Cerberus_ and other vessels. Although it failed to inflict any injury on a single vessel, three of the crew of a prize schooner astern of the _Cerberus_, hauling one of Bushnell’s drifting torpedoes on board, were killed by the explosion. In 1801 Fulton attempted to destroy one of the English Channel Fleet off Boulogne by means of his drifting torpedoes, but owing to the ship altering her position at the moment of setting the torpedo adrift, the attack failed. In 1804–5, Fulton, who had now joined the British forces, attacked some of the French ships, but the torpedoes exploded harmlessly. From the death of Fulton to the commencement of the American Civil War, numerous inventive minds built or projected submarine craft of all shapes and sizes, but none of these ever participated in an actual engagement. The exploits of the diving torpedo-boats known by the generic name of _David_, during the contest between the Federals and the Confederates, have been fully described in Chapter XII., and there is therefore no need to dwell further on this period in the history of under-water warfare. Since then no submarine boat has ever been taken into battle, although during the Spanish-American war Spain might have used the _Peral_, and the United States the _Holland_. In mimic warfare submarines have played their part, and although no very definite conclusions respecting their possible value in time of war can be drawn from their performances in peace manœuvres, still it may not be unprofitable briefly to note the various occasions on which some of the new submarine torpedo-boats have been used. The first of these occasions was in September, 1900, during the manœuvres of the U.S. North Atlantic Squadron off Newport, Rhode Island, when the _Holland_ made an attack upon the fleet by herself, without convoy, at a distance of seven miles out from the mouth of the harbour, and, with her own crew alone in her, torpedoed the flagship of the squadron, the _Kearsarge_, commanded by Capt. Wm. M. Folger. Lieut. Caldwell, who commanded the _Holland_ on this occasion, wrote regarding the incident:— “The _Holland_ was not seen by any vessel of the blockading fleet or torpedo-boat, although she was within torpedo range of three of the former and several of the latter. I consider the attack was a success because the _Holland_ could in all probability have torpedoed three blockading vessels without being discovered.”