Themes
The Navy's People
Learning
The Navy's first submarine
The Royal Navy initially opposed the introduction of submarines at the turn of the twentieth century. Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson, the Controller of the Navy, believed that underwater fighting was unfair. He famously stated that 'submarines are underhand, unfair and damned un-English.' The Navy felt that neither they nor any other nation ought to have submarines and tried to prevent their development. Wilson soon changed his opinion.
Captain Charles Robinson at HMS Vernon, the Navy's Torpedo School, advised Wilson that his staff could not proceed with developing an antidote to French submarines until they understood the performance capabilities of these craft. The Admiralty therefore decided to acquire some submarines to find out just how dangerous they were, hoping they would be proved ineffective.
The Royal Navy's first submarines were designed by the Electric Boat Company of Delaware. This company bought the patents in 1899 from the bankrupt submarine designer, John Holland, an Irishman who had emigrated to America. The Navy commissioned five submarines, built to the design of Electric Boat's own prototype vessel and named 'Holland' boats after their inventor.
The Admiralty contracted the shipbuilders Vickers, Son and Maxim Ltd to supply the Navy with these submarines. The first submarine was HM Submarine Torpedo Boat Number 1, also known as Holland I, laid down amidst great secrecy in January 1901 at the Vickers' yard in Barrow-in-Furness. Its launch was on 2 October 1901.
Various trials and training exercises used the Holland boats for several more years. The hulk of Holland I finally sold as scrap in October 1913. Although, she sprang a leak whilst under tow and foundered off the southwest coast of England.
