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

Another Torpedo Blast Theory

New research has revealed that occupants of the doomed ship did indeed die because of the impact the torpedo launch generated but maybe not in the way people used to think they did. According to researchers at Duke University, the released torpedo generated considerable impact, and the shock damaged their soft tissue, lungs and brains. The nearby torpedo caused their lungs to be filled with blood and the brain damage they sustained was fatal.