The ship was the target of an early torpedo attack by [[David Bushnell]]'s newly developed powder keg torpedoes in 1777. On August 13, 1777 a Bushnell floating mine/keg sank a small (captured) schooner/tender to {{HMS|Cerberus|1758|6}}, in Black Point Bay, New London, CT killing three sailors and saving 1 man.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=t00SAAAAYAAJ&dq=Schooner+captured+by+HMS+Cerberus,+Plumb+Island&pg=PA740 Naval Documents of the American Revolution pp.740-741;746-747]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=CL9LAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR24&dq=Battle+of+the+kegs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwispNjwu_7OAhUF1B4KHZ9IAsoQ6AEIJDAB#v=onepage&q=Battle%20of%20the%20kegs&f=false|title=Battle Battle of the Kegs]</ref> but did not severely damage the ship.
In 1778 David Dushnell launched what became lauded as the [[Battle of the Kegs]], in which a series of mines was floated down the [[Delaware River]] to attack British ships anchored there, killing two curious young boys<ref>Marstan and Frese, p. 271</ref> and alerting the British. The attack was ineffectual.
Author
Topic: Attack on the HMS Cerberus in 1777 and mine warfare (Read 29775 times)