 Holland 1 under way | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Holland 1 |
| Ordered | 1900 |
| Builder |
|
| Laid down | 1900 |
| Launched | 1901 Yacht Shed No 1 |
| Commissioned | 1901 |
| Decommissioned | 5 November 1913 |
| Fate | Lost while under tow, subsequently raised |
| Status | On display atRoyal Navy Submarine Museum,Gosport |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | 105 long tons (107 t) submerged |
| Length | 63 ft 10 in (19.46 m)[1] |
| Beam | 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m)[1] |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 7 knots (8.1 mph; 13 km/h) submerged |
| Range | 20 nmi (37 km) at 7 kn (8.1 mph; 13 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Complement | 9 (Lieutenant,Sub-Lieutenant,Coxswain, Torpedo Instructor, Chief Engineering Artificer, Leading Stoker,Stoker,Leading Seaman andAble Seaman) |
| Armament |
|
Holland 1 (orHM submarine Torpedo Boat No 1) is the firstsubmarine commissioned by theRoyal Navy. The first in a five-boat batch of theHolland-class submarine, launched in 1901, she was lost twelve years later in 1913 while under tow to be scrapped following her decommissioning. Recovered in 1982, she was put on display at theRoyal Navy Submarine Museum,Gosport. Her battery bank found in the boat was discovered to be functional after being cleaned and recharged.
She was ordered in 1901 fromJohn Philip Holland and built atBarrow-in-Furness. Her keel waslaid down 4 February 1901.[1] In order to keep the boat's construction secret, she was assembled in a building labelled "Yacht Shed", and the parts that had to be fabricated in the general yard were marked for "pontoon no 1".[2] She waslaunched on 2 October 1901 and dived for the first time (in an enclosed basin) on 20 March 1902.[3] Her sea trials began in April 1902.[4]
In September 1902 she arrived atPortsmouth, along with the other completed Holland boat and theirtender,HMS Hazard. Together they made up the "First Submarine Flotilla", commanded by CaptainReginald Bacon.Holland 1 suffered an explosion on 3 March 1903 that caused four injuries.[5]
On 24 October 1904, with the rest of the Holland fleet and threeA-class boats,Holland 1 sailed from Portsmouth to attack a Russian fleet that had mistakenly sunk a number of British fishing vessels in the North Sea in theDogger Bank incident. The boats were recalled before any attack could take place.[6]
The submarine was decommissioned and sold in 1913 toThos. W. Ward for £410.[6] By the time the submarine was sold she was considered so obsolete that she was sold with all fittings intact, and the only requirement put on the purchaser was that thetorpedo tube be put out of action.[6]
While being towed to the scrapyard,Holland 1 encountered very severe weather and sank about a mile and a half offEddystone Lighthouse.[6] No one was on board the submarine at the time, and, since the submarine had been seen to be sinking earlier in the journey, the crew of the tug were ready to release the tow rope, preventing any damage to the tug.[6]
The wreck was located in 1981 by Plymouth historian Michael Pearn and she was raised in November 1982.[7] From 1983, after coating in anti-corrosion chemicals, she was displayed at theRoyal Navy Submarine Museum. Work on restoring the submarine continued until September 1988.[8] A talking figure was included to explain the details of the craft to visitors.[8] However, by 1993 it was apparent that the anti-corrosion treatment had proved inadequate. Afibreglass tank was built around her, and she was immersed insodium carbonate solution from 1995. After four years the corrosive chloride ions had been removed, and she was able to be displayed again after restoration work.[9]
Listed as part of theNational Historic Fleet, in 2001, on her centenary, a new purpose-built climate-controlled building was opened byCountess Mountbatten. In the same year theRoyal Mail put a photo of the submarine on a 65 pence stamp.[10] In 2011 the submarine was given anEngineering Heritage Award by theInstitution of Mechanical Engineers[11]
The original bank of batteries, recovered with the wreckage, were submitted for testing by the original manufacturer, Chloride Industrial Batteries Ltd based inSwinton, Greater Manchester. Following the initial clean, the lead batteries were recharged and found to be in good working order. Some of the original batteries still remain in the possession of Enersys (ex-CIBL) at the Newport plant, in South Wales.
