Spanish Inventions – Isaac Peral’s Submarine

Unless you have studied naval history in great detail, it is probable that you have never heard of Isaac Peral, a Spanish inventor, who came up with the designs for what some call the first u-boat.

Isaac Peral y Caballero was born on 1 June 1851 in Cartegena, a large and densely populated city on the Mediterranean coast, which was established as a naval base in the 16th Century. Little is known about Isaac Peral’s youth, however his family were involved in the navy, and this must have been a great influence for his future career path.

At the tender age of 14, Peral enrolled at the San Fernando Naval Military School in Cadiz, and at 16, he earned a commission into the Spanish Navy. During his Naval career, Peral was involved in active duties, travelling to Cuba and the Phillipines. Peral excelled in his work, and was awarded a medal for bravery.

In 1882, Peral was awarded the role of Professor of Physics at the Escuela de Ampliación de Estudios de la Armada. His growing knowledge of science and technology, combined with an understanding that Spain needed new methods to protect their territories overseas, spurred him to begin work on the plans for El Peral, a submarine designed for military use.

With the encouragement and financial input of the naval minister Manuel de la Pezuela, Peral was able to build a full sized model of his design and which was launched in 1888. El Peral measured 22 metres in length, with a cigar-like shape, and was powered by two electrical 30 horse power engines. During the testing process, the submarine simulated both day and night time attacks, along with firing three Whitehead torpedos.

Unfortunately, despite promising results, in 1890, further investigation of underwater vessels for military use was brought to an end. There is some evidence that political pressures and concern that extending the naval capacity of Spain would draw unwanted attention from other nations were the main factors for the sudden change of opinions on what had been a popular project.

El Peral was withdrawn and removed into storage in 1890, and in 1891, Isaac Peral left the navy –ending a career which he had cared greatly about. Peral was to die in Berlin in 1895, sadly unrecognised for the significance of his work. El Peral remained in storage until the 1970s, despite attempts to have it destroyed earlier in the century. The submarine has now been moved to stand in pride of place in Cartegena harbour, an iconic focal point which serves as a monument to the importance of Peral’s work.