United Kingdom

HMS Holland 5

Early Royal Navy submarine wreck off Eastbourne, UK

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Historical Context

About

Holland 5 was the last of the five Holland-class submarines ordered by the British Admiralty to evaluate the potential of the submarine with the Royal Navy. She was one of the first submarines to be accepted into Royal Navy service, and unique to her class, she carried one of the earliest periscopes. By the time she was launched, a number of A-class submarines had already been ordered to replace this class in navy service. She had a single-hull design, built from "s" grade steel. She sank whilst under tow to the scrap yard in 1912, possibly caused by the torpedo hatch being left open. The wreck was rediscovered in 2000 and was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act in 2005. The wreck is a Protected Wreck managed by Historic England. Damage has been caused to the site in recent years, and at some point between September 2008 and June 2010, the torpedo hatch was stolen off the wreck.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Petrol explosion during demonstration

4 March 1903

Designation under Protection of Wrecks Act

4 January 2005

Sank while under tow to be scrapped

8 August 1912

Launched

10 June 1902

Accepted into Royal Navy service

19 January 1903

Ran aground off Fort Blockhouse

1910

Wreck discovery

September 2000

Sonar confirmation by Archaeological Diving Unit

April 2001

Torpedo tube hatch found missing

2010

Classification

Archaeological Features

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Defensive Structures

Fortresses
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Military Installations

Barracks
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Transportation and Communication Structures

Shipyards
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Reference

Details

Country

United Kingdom

Coordinates

50.73° N, 0.25° E