1. Argonaut
Built by an American engineer Simon Lake in 1897, Argonaut represented a major leap in the submarine technology away from its predecessors that had only been capable of completing short runs close to the shore. This 36-foot sea craft featuring a 30-horsepower gasoline engine propeller had a unique set of wheels that enabled it to move on the seabed. It also had a number of technological breakthroughs including a periscope, a floating hose, and a diving chamber. The floating hose provided air for both the engine and crew and this enabled it to cruise far deeper into the water body.
With the submarine, Lake made what had since been termed the first open ocean voyage by a submarine. The voyage involved a trip that started in Norfolk, through Virginia to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. This was after he had used the craft to salvage sunken shipwrecks in the Chesapeake Bay. Lake further developed dozens of subaquatic vehicles for the United States Navy and produced well over 200 patents