Killed By Its Own Weapon
According to this theory, the torpedo that destroyed the Housatonic became the Hunley’s undoing since it was only less than 20 feet away from the torpedo when it was released. Either this may have destroyed the ship, causing water to come in, or the torpedo’s impact rendered the crew unconscious. Holes found in the ship initially upheld the idea that the torpedo damaged the ship, but further research reveals that these were brought about by the vessel’s prolonged stay under the sea. It is more likely that the crew became unconscious from the blast, causing a delay in their journey home and eventually killing them due to lack of oxygen. This, however, is an older theory and there is a newer theory regarding the ship’s torpedo launching
