 Model of Holland 1 at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Holland class |
| Builders | Vickers, Barrow |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | none |
| Succeeded by | A class |
| In commission | 2 February 1903 - 1914 |
| Completed | 5 |
| Lost | 2 |
| Retired | 3 |
| Preserved | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Midget submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 63 ft 10 in (19.46 m) |
| Beam | 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Complement | 8 |
| Armament |
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The Holland class were the first submarines built for the Royal Navy. They were built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. The first three were designed by John Philip Holland. The Hollands were built under licence from the Holland Torpedo Boat Company/Electric Boat Company during the years 1901 to 1903. The Admiralty hoped to keep the Holland class a secret, and very few senior officers even knew of their existence. This led to the myth of the Admiralty not taking any interest in submarines. On the contrary, the Admiralty was well aware of the submarine's destructive potential. It therefore refrained from any submarine development programme so as to avoid provoking similar programmes on the part of foreign navies. Once those navies did begin serious submarine programmes, the Admiralty had no choice but to begin its own.[1]
- ^ Galantin, Ignatius J., Admiral, USN (Ret.). Foreword to Submariner by Johnnie Coote, p. 1.