HMS Holland 5 facts for kids
A submarine of the Holland class
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| United Kingdom | |
| Name | Holland 5 |
| Ordered | 1900 |
| Builder | Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Barrow |
| Launched | 10 June 1902 |
| Commissioned | 1902 |
| Fate | Foundered off Beachy Head, 8 August 1912 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | 105 long tons (107 t) (submerged) |
| Length | 63 ft 5 in (19.33 m) |
| Beam | 11 ft 10 in (3.61 m) |
| Draught | 11 ft 10 in (3.61 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 7 kn (8.1 mph; 13 km/h) submerged |
| Range | 20 nmi (23 mi; 37 km) at 7 kn (8.1 mph; 13 km/h) submerged |
| Test depth | 100 ft (30 m) |
| Complement | 8 |
| Armament | 1 × 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tube (Up to 3 torpedoes) |
Holland 5 was a very early submarine built for the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. It was the last of five experimental Holland-class submarines. These submarines were ordered by the British Admiralty (the government department in charge of the navy) to see how useful submarines could be for the Royal Navy.
Holland 5 was one of the first submarines to join the Royal Navy. It was special because it had one of the very first periscopes, which no other submarines in its class had. Even though it was new, other, more modern submarines were already being planned to replace it.
This submarine had a special design made from strong steel. It sank in 1912 while being pulled by another ship to be taken apart. It's thought that the torpedo hatch might have been left open, letting water in. The wreck was found again in 2000 and is now a protected site. Sadly, some parts of the wreck have been damaged or stolen over the years.
Contents
Building the Holland 5 Submarine
Holland 5 was the fifth experimental submarine of its kind. It was launched on June 10, 1902. Building it cost about £35,000, which was a lot of money back then!
The submarine was built by Vickers, Sons and Maxim in Barrow-in-Furness. They built it using plans from the Holland Torpedo Boat Company and designed by John Philip Holland. Holland 5 was launched just one month before Holland 6, which later became known as A1. The British Holland submarines were an improved version of the design used for the American submarine USS Holland.
Special Features of Holland 5
Holland 5 was equipped with one of the very first periscopes. At the time it was launched, no other submarines in the Royal Navy or the United States Navy had one. This periscope was designed in Britain and could be raised and lowered using a special joint on the hull (the main body of the submarine).
The submarine was built using a special type of steel called "s grade steel." This strong steel was only used for this class of submarines and for the Forth Bridge at that time. Holland 5 had a "single-hull" design. This meant that its fuel tanks, ballast (which helps the submarine go up and down), and other important parts were all inside the main outer shell. However, this design limited the submarine to a maximum diving depth of only 100 feet (30 m).
Holland 5's Time in Service
Holland 5 and Holland 3 were the first two submarines to officially join the Royal Navy on January 19, 1903. But by the time Holland 5 was launched, it was already considered a bit old-fashioned. Newer A-class submarines were already being ordered to take their place.
On March 4, 1903, Holland 5 was part of a group of Holland-class submarines showing off their skills for Captain Reginald Bacon in Stokes Bay. During this demonstration, a gasoline explosion happened on Holland 1. After this, the Holland-class submarines, including Holland 5, were mainly used for defending harbors and for training new sailors.
By 1909, when the navy showed off its ships in the Thames, the media (newspapers and reporters) said the Holland-class submarines were no longer "seaworthy," meaning they weren't good enough for long trips at sea. In 1910, Holland 5 even got stuck on the seabed near Fort Blockhouse. This was where HMS Dolphin, the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service, was located.
The Final Journey
By 1912, the navy decided to get rid of the Holland-class submarines. Holland 5 sank in the English Channel off Beachy Head, Sussex, on August 8, 1912. It was being towed to Sheerness to be taken apart for scrap metal when it went down. No one was sure exactly why it sank, but one idea is that the torpedo tube hatch was left open, causing the submarine to fill with water.
Finding and Protecting the Wreck
In September 2000, the wreck of Holland 5 was found again. It was about 6 miles (9.7 km) off the coast near Eastbourne and lay at a depth of 98 feet (30 m). In April 2001, a special diving team used sonar (sound waves to map the seabed) to confirm that it was indeed Holland 5. The submarine is sitting upright on the seabed.
On January 4, 2005, Andrew McIntosh, who was a government minister, announced that the wreck was officially protected under the Protection of Wrecks Act. This law makes it a crime to damage the site or take things from it.
Damage to the Wreck
In 2010, it was discovered that someone had stolen the torpedo tube hatch from the wreck. It was thought that this item wouldn't be worth money but was probably taken for a private collection. There were no official dives to the wreck in 2009 because of bad weather, and the hatch was last seen in September 2008. Fishing nets have also caused more damage to the site. These nets might have harmed the periscope and other parts on the top of the submarine.
Holland 5 is the only submarine of its class still on the seabed. The only other Holland-class submarine remaining, Holland 1, is on display at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, Hampshire.
Marine Life Around the Wreck
The wreck of Holland 5 has become a home for various sea creatures. Divers have seen brown crabs, European spider crabs, poutings (a type of fish), poor cod, Sagartia elegans (a colorful type of sea anemone), worms from the Serpulidae family, and European Conger eels living on or around the submarine.
