Barrow Built

In the beginning

Nordenfelt 1886

This steam-driven boat was 100 feet long and displaced 160 tons. She was an improved version of an earlier submarine built in Stockholm in 1882 and based on the Resurgam, a submarine designed and developed by an Englishman, The Rev. William Garrett of Liverpool.

Nordenfelt under construction at Barrow

In 1887, another Nordenfelt was built at Barrow. This vessel was 125ft long, displaced 230 tons, had a hull form more like that of a conventional ship, and achieved a speed of 14 knots.

The Nordenfelt's were not particularly successful. When operating near the surface they were fast and manageable, but when completely submerged they lacked longitudinal stability.

The first was sold to Turkey but never entered service: the second sank on her delivery trip to Russia.

However, when the advent of nuclear power put steam propulsion back into submarines, Vickers could surely reflect: 'So what's new? We did it in 1886.'

Holland 1901

Holland 1 launching ?

Accordingly, five submarines were ordered to be built at Barrow by Vickers, Sons and Maxim, under licence from the Holland Torpedo Boat Company of America (later to become the Electric Boat Company).

The founder of the Holland Torpedo Boat Company was John P. Holland, an Irish emigrant to America. He had long had an interest in submarines - seeing them as a means of demoralising, or even destroying, the English Fleet. His first submarine design was for a one-man boat, 16 feet long, the propeller being mechanically driven by the occupant. But the later development, Holland No.1 was fitted with a 4hp Brayton petrol engine.

By 1893, development of the working submarine was well advanced, and the US Naval Board recognised that there was a place for the submarine in naval warfare, and laid down a set of requirements for naval submarines. These requirements were met by a boat of Holland's design, and in 1895 he was awarded a contract to build a submarine boat for the US Government.

Development proceeded rapidly from here, and the design destined to become the Royal Navy's Holland No. 1 was, it is thought, America's Holland Number 10 - known as the Adder Class

Working drawings supplied to Vickers had many discrepancies and in some particulars were obviously incorrect. But building went on to these plans, and it was only after the boat almost turned on end during dock trials that Vickers were allowed to make modifications. The problems were due, in part, to the difficulties of communication with the Holland Boat Company, and the fact that construction of the RN Holland 1 was ahead of the prototype Adder Class - the drawings had not been proved.

In the American design no periscope was fitted; the only way to see was to look through a scuttle in the conning tower. A periscope of British design was fitted to one of the Holland's. This was a hinged periscope, raised and lowered on a ball and socket joint on the hull. The target was only upright when ahead; when abeam it was on its side; when astern it was upside down.

During the Holland construction programme, association with the Electric Boat Company was severed and Vickers seriously began the task of designing submarines themselves. It is interesting to note that Vickers' association with the Electric Boat Company was renewed in the 1960s, with the construction of Britain's first nuclear-powered submarine HMS Dreadnought.

The five Holland Class were completed by mid-1903 at a cost of £35 000 each. Although they were poor sea boats and could dive to only 100 feet, they were sufficiently successful to convince the Admiralty to continue the development of the submarine.

Holland's 1 to 3 were sold to T W Ward for breaking up in 1913, but Holland 1 foundered off the Eddystone Lighthouse, while on tow. Holland 4 was deliberately sunk by gunfire during experiments in October 1912 and Holland 5 sank while on tow from Portsmouth to Sheerness. Incredibly, in April 1981, the wreck of Holland 1 was found.

The Royal Marine Auxiliary Service Vessel Pintail began the final stages of recovery in November 1982. The submarine was lifted from the seabed in Plymouth Sound and brought into No 12 Dock in Devonport Dockyard, where she was lowered onto a cradle. The dock was then completely pumped-out and work began on the preservation of the hull structure.

Marine growth was cleaned off by water blasting inside and outside the hull to enable a team from DMP Marine to treat the hull with a chemical compound called Fertan. This product is said to convert rust into a solid material and prevents further corrosion of the steel hull.

Recovery of the hull began in the summer when the diving support ship Seaforth Clansman began the work of clearing the immense amount of debris from the hull. Lifting strops were placed around the vessel and she was raised from the seabed off Eddystone Light and brought into Plymouth Sound where she was beached in about 25 ft of water off Drakes Island.

Work then began on the removal of her batteries to lighten the load for the final lift. Some 36 of the batteries were removed from inside the hull and proved to be in remarkably good condition.

After the immediate preservation work was complete, Holland 1 was be cut into three sections by the Dockyard, in readiness for transporting by the Royal Corps of Transport to her final resting place, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport.

Inside Holland One after 70 years on the sea-bed
Looking Forward	Looking Aft
Holland 1 in 1980 before it was 'pickled'
The Heads	Close up of of the Torpedo Tube