EARLY MILITARY SUBMARINES

BY

Bob Digby

This year sees the commemoration of one hundred years of Royal Navy submarines.

Submarines have of course been around for a lot longer than one hundred years. One of the earliest records of a submarine being used for military use was in 1776 during the American War of Independence. The vessel was called ‘The Turtle’. It was an egg shaped device (looks like a design by Wallace & Grommit!), and powered by the pilot pedalling a treadle operated propeller.

This vessel was launched against HMS Eagle in New York Harbour. The object of the mission was to manoeuvre across the harbour just below the surface then submerge below HMS Eagle and place a detachable charge beneath her hull. The intention was to attach the charge by screwing into the wooden hull. Unfortunately (or fortunately), HMS Eagle had a metal plated hull so the mission failed. The Turtle was spotted by lookouts and chased back across the harbour during which the charge was released and exploded during the escape. 

The next notable military use of a submarine was again in America, this time during the American Civil War in 1864.This vessel was the CSS Hunley and was used to successfully sink the USS Housatonic. However it also sank itself with the loss of all its crew. CSS Hunley was a long boiler shaped design propelled by the 8 crew members turning a hand-operated crankshaft. At the front of the vessel was a torpedo spar, which consisted of an explosive charge attached to end of long wooden pole. Under the command of the Captain, CSS Hunley rammed the USS Housatonic but whilst backing off the torpedo exploded too soon sinking both vessels.

The wreak of this vessel has recently been found by the American author and adventurer Clive Cussler and is in the process of being raised and conserved.

In 1879 an English Clergyman, The Reverend William Garrett, is credited with the introduction of the first mechanically powered submarine, The Resurgam, which means ‘to rise again’. It was 45ft long, up to 9ft 6in diameter with a small conning tower and weighed 30tons. This vessel was powered by steam that was stored under pressure whilst running on the surface and then used when submerged. The crew of 3 had to endure a cramped interior with intense heat from the coal fired boiler together with its fumes requiring them to breathe from a compressed air supply. Lighting was by candle which, when starting to gutter indicated the need to surface and refresh the air. The Resurgam was found by divers back in 1995 off the coast of North Wales. It was reported to have sunk on its way to a Navy demonstration. But, recent investigations indicate that there is no evidence to support the theory of an official demonstration and it now questioned as to whether it actually ever completed a proper dive.

See Diver Magazine April 1996 for a full report.

In 1900 a statement in Parliament was made saying “The Admiralty are not prepared to take any steps with regard to the submarines because this vessel is only the weapon of the weaker nation”. However a year later that view had reversed, probably due to developments by countries such as America and France, when an announcement was made to purchase five submarines.

And so rights to an American design were purchased with the construction to be carried out by Vickers of Barrow-in-Furness.

But not everybody in the Admiralty was in favour. Admiral Arthur Wilson said any submariner captured should be “hanged as a pirate”, as well as submarines being “ underhand, underwater and damned un-English”, and “no occupation for a gentleman”.

However, by April 1901 a further Parliamentary statement was made indicating 5 submarines were to built “to assist the Admiralty in assessing their true value”. This resulted in the purchase of the rights to the designs by an Irish American inventor, John Philip Holland, which lead to the construction of the Royal Navy’s first 5 submarines.

The Holland Class of submarines were of approximately 110 tons displacement, 63 ft in length by 12ft wide and 10 ft high. The 160 hp petrol engine and 74 hp electric motor gave a surface speed of 8knots and a submerged speed of 7 knots. Armament was a single bow Whitehead torpedo.

There was a crew of 2 officers, 5 ratings and 3 white mice. The mice were used to monitor the air quality; being small they would quickly react to the presence of carbon monoxide or other dangerous gases escaping from the petrol engine. An allowance of 1 shilling per day per mouse was made for their keep. It was also said that they were often so full of rum and grain it was difficult to tell if they were suffering from foul air or just over indulgence.

These vessels provided the Royal Navy with its first lessons in submarine technology. Although of a basic design they were considered effective, easily controlled and whilst in service no crew members were lost. Diving was a slow process, taking anything up to 10 minutes to achieve periscope depth. Having a shallow freeboard of only 4 feet and a tendency to plunge in a swell they were restricted to use in calm seas.    

Holland 5 still lies where she sank, on tow from Portsmouth to the breakers in Sheerness in 1912, in 31m of water off the Sussex coast. I dived her back in Oct 1995 with the crew of Henrietta. On descending the shot line we had no idea of what to expect as nothing was known of this ‘bump’ on the sea bed. Yet there before us, with good viz, appeared the unmistakable shape of a small submarine. Arriving at the stern we investigated the propeller and hydroplanes which had become detached. On swimming along the deck a large conger eel had taken up residence in the superstructure. The conning tower was complete and still sealed. Peering in through the glass ports was an eerie feeling, half expecting a face to look back. Continuing to the bows there was evidence of the vessel beginning to deteriorate, which is hardly surprising considering the time it has lain on the bottom. Lying as it does, upright with a slight list to starboard, the surrounding sand has built up to cover the bow torpedo tube.

It was not until a few days later and following some enquiries at The National Maritime Museum that we learnt that it was Holland 5. In this centenary year of Royal Navy submarines’ this wreak has been the subject of a survey, which took place on 19 April, by the Archaeological Diving Unit.

Further events and information can be found :

Bob Digby

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