More on the Spitfire

It was one of 7 54 foot gunboats called gondolas, that Benedict Arnold had built. It was the last unaccounted-for ship from the Battle of Valcour Island.

It is intact and sitting upright on the bottom and in pristine condition with mast still standing and the bow gun in place. The reason for its remarkable condition is the lake's cold, dark fresh water.

Benedict Arnold's "Spitfire"

Vermont's newest site on the National Register of Historical Places lies on the botton of Lake Champlain. It is a ship hastily constructed by Benedict Arnold's forces in 1776 to oppose a British invasion from Canada.

The Spitfire was sunk at the October 11, 1776 Battle of Valcour Island. The outnumbered and outgunned US fleet lost the battle, but did delay the British invasion until the following year. The British ships had been prefabricated in England. This ended up in the pivotal Battle of Saratoga, a resounding American victory.

The Spitfire's sister ship, the Philadelphia, was also sunk and a replica of it is at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes. The Philadelphia was raised in 1935 and the original remains can be seen at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

The wreck was discovered in 1997 while Lake Champlain was being sonar mapped. It's exact location has been kept secret to prevent looting.

Never heard of This Ship or Battle. --Cooter