Identification & Site Information

• Name: Gundelow Spitfire
• Other Names: None recorded
• Vessel Type: Armed Gundelow (Flat-bottomed Gunboat)
• Date Built: 1776
• Builder: Constructed by the Continental Navy, almost certainly built at Skenesborough (now Whitehall, New York) as part of Benedict Arnold’s emergency fleet construction
• Dimensions: Estimated based on period gundelows:
• Length: 50-60 feet (15-18 metres)
• Beam: 15-18 feet (4.5-5.5 metres)
• Armament:
• 2 small guns (likely 4-pounders)
• Swivel guns mounted for close-range defence
• Tonnage: Estimated 40-50 tons
• Date Lost: October 11-13, 1776
• Final Location: Valcour Island, Lake Champlain
• Coordinates: Located! N44°37.132’ W073°24.947’
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Vessel Type

Armed Gundelow (Flat-bottomed Gunboat)

The Spitfire was a shallow-Draft gundelow, built as part of Benedict Arnold’s defensive fleet on Lake Champlain. These vessels were essentially armed cargo barges, not purpose-built warships, but they were crucial to America’s first naval battle. They provided mobile gun platforms capable of operating very close to shore, giving the Continental fleet tactical flexibility in tight channels and shallow bays like those around Valcour Island.

History

Built in mid-1776, Spitfire joined Arnold’s fleet at Skenesborough and took part in the fleet’s movement south to Valcour Island. On October 11, 1776, during the Battle of Valcour Island, Spitfire took position close to the island’s western shore, part of the inner defensive line. Along with her sister ships, she used the island for cover, firing her small guns and swivels toward the much larger British warships in open water.

Though outgunned and outnumbered, Arnold’s fleet fought fiercely, delaying the British for a full day. That night, the Americans slipped past the British lines in a daring retreat south. Spitfire, however, was too damaged to escape. She was Abandoned and left to sink, still at anchor.

Final Disposition

• Cause of Loss: Abandoned and sunk after damage during the battle.
• Final Resting Place: Spitfire settled into the mud near Valcour Island.
• Condition: Extraordinarily well-preserved, with her mast still standing, guns in place, and much of her structure intact.

Site Description

The wreck of Spitfire is one of the most remarkable Revolutionary War discoveries in the Great Lakes and inland waters. Found in 1997, her remains sit upright on the lakebed in about 34 metres (110 feet) of water, almost perfectly preserved in the cold, low-oxygen environment of Lake Champlain.

Her mast is still standing, her guns are in position, and much of her wooden structure remains intact. Archaeologists have called her a “time capsule” of the 1776 battle.

Experience Rating

⚠️ Not Open for Recreational Diving

Spitfire is a fully protected archaeological site under the jurisdiction of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, the State of New York, and the United States. Diving on the site is strictly prohibited without special archaeological permits.

NOTMARs & Advisories

✅ The site is officially listed and protected under U.S. law.
✅ Notices exist warning against unauthorized diving, artifact removal, or disturbance.

Located By & Date Found

• Discovered: 1997
• Located By: Archaeologists from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, using side-scan sonar during systematic surveys of the Valcour battlefield.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Depth: 34 metres (110 feet)
• Bottom Composition: Soft silt, which helped cushion and preserve the wreck.
• Visibility: Typically good due to depth and water clarity in deeper parts of the lake.
• Condition: Exceptional — one of the best-preserved vessels from the Revolutionary War anywhere in the world.

Resources & Links

• Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Library and Archives Canada
• Historical Collections of the Great Lakes – Bowling Green

Conclusion

The Spitfire is a crown jewel of underwater archaeology on the Great Lakes. Unlike so many Revolutionary War wrecks that were destroyed, lost to time, or buried under shoreline development, Spitfire survived nearly untouched — a silent witness to the desperate battle fought on Lake Champlain in 1776.

Her historical value is immense, offering insights into early American shipbuilding, naval tactics, and the courage of Arnold’s improvised fleet in the face of overwhelming odds.

Keywords & Categories

Spitfire, Gundelow, Valcour Island, Battle of Valcour, Lake Champlain, Benedict Arnold, Continental Navy, American Revolutionary War, Historical Shipwrecks, Preserved Shipwrecks, Archaeological Sites, Great Lakes Maritime History