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''Ictineo II'' was a pioneering submarine launched in 1864 by engineer Narcís Monturiol i Estarriol of Catalonia, Spain and was the first air independent and combustion powered submarine and was the first submarine to overcome the basic problems of machine powered underwater navigation. ==History== The ''Ictineo II'' was originally intended as an improved version of the handpowered ''Ictineo I''. The Spanish Navy pledged support to Monturiol but did not actually supply it, so he had to raise funds himself, writing a ''letter to the nation'' to encourage a popular subscription which raised 300,000 pesetas from citizens of Spain and Cuba and was used to form the company ''La Navegación Submarina'' to develop the ''Ictineo II''. The ''Ictineo II'' made her maiden voyage under human power on 20 May 1865, submerging to . A few months later, Monturiol attempted to attract government funding by installing a cannon that could be aimed and fired from inside the submarine. After reading about the American Civil War and the attempts at submarine construction such as the CSS ''Hunley'', the financially desperate Monturiol wrote to the US Secretary of the Navy; however, the Civil War had ended by the time the Secretary responded. Dissatisfied with the limitations placed on him by human propulsion, Monturiol realized that the only option was steam power, but contemporary steam engines required a fire which was not an option for a submarine. To this end he invented the air independent engine. Monturiol envisaged a new vessel, custom built to house his new engine, which would be entirely built of metal with the engine housed in its own separate compartment. However, due to the state of his finances, construction of a new vessel was out of the question, and instead he managed to assemble enough funds to fit the engine into the ''Ictineo II''. On 22 October 1867 the ''Ictineo II'' made its first surface journey under steam power, averaging with a top speed of . Two months later, on 14 December, Monturiol submerged the vessel and ran his chemical engine, but without attempting to travel anywhere. On 23 December, ''La Navegación Submarina'' went bankrupt, having completely exhausted its funds. Monturiol had spent 100,000 Duros — which could have purchased several frigates, or of gold — and could attract no more investment. The chief creditor called in his debt, and Monturiol was forced to surrender the ''Ictineo II'', which was his sole asset. The creditor subsequently sold it on to a businessman, and the authorities, who taxed all ships, issued its new owner with a tax bill. Rather than pay, he dismantled the entire submarine and sold it for scrap. The ship's surface motor was removed to a textile factory; viewports ended up as bathroom windows.〔Cindy Lee Van Dover. (A Utopian's Submarine ). Retrieved on 2008-08-01〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ictineo II」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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