The first ever submarine built during the American Civil War, the H.L. Hunley, was also the first submersible vessel capable of sinking another warship. The Confederate submarine sank off the South Carolina coast after a successful attack on a Union warship.

Now, researchers are learning about the design of this historic submarine and how it functioned underwater.

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In 2000, the Hunley was recovered heavily encrusted and covered with rust, hardened sand and silt. After six months of excruciating work, a team of researchers removed 70 percent of the debris to reveals the submarine in all its pioneering glory. The work exposed its hull for the first time since the sub was launched into battle during the Civil War.

The 40 foot-long submersible was constructed in Mobile, Alabama and was first launched for testing in 1863. The Hunley sank for the first time during a military exercise the same year it was built. Five of its crewmen died. After the unfortunate incident, the Confederacy recovered the vessel and restored it.

The submarine then sank for the second time in October the same year, killing eight people, including its inventor, Horace Hunley. The military recovered it once more from the seafloor and the sub was sent on its first and final combat mission.

The following year, the submarine attacked the USS Housatonic, killing three crew and two officers. On its way back to port, however, Hunley sank due to reasons still unknown to scientists and historians.

From its first test launch to its final mission, the Hunley took 21 lives and killed just five of its foes. Even if this sounds futile, the Hunley paved way for modern submarine warfare.

Now, researchers are hoping to find more clues and information   as to why the Hunley sank 150 years ago after restoring its hull.

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