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As the US Navy’s first modern submarine to be put into service, the USS Holland (SS-1) is deeply embedded in the organization’s history. The 1775 submersible Turtle holds the distinction of being the country’s first submarine, but the USS Holland ultimately represented a significant turning point in naval innovation.
Built at Elizabeth, New Jersey’s Crescent Shipyard under the direction of John Philip Holland’s Holland Torpedo Boat Company, the submarine was first known as Holland VI. The ship demonstrated advances in submarine architecture when it was launched on May 17, 1897.
Following that, the submarine was purchased by the US Navy on April 11, 1900, and it was formally put into service on October 12, 1900, under the leadership of Lieutenant H. H. Caldwell.
General Characteristics:
An important part of the early evolution of undersea warfare was played by the midget submarine USS Holland (SS-1). It weighed 64 long tonnes (65 t) when it surfaced and 74 long tonnes (75 t) when submerged, making it a midget submarine. The USS Holland was a small but efficient vessel, measuring 53 feet 10 inches (16.41 m) overall, with a beam that reached 10 feet 4 inches (3.15 m) at its widest point and a draft of 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m).
The submarine was propelled by an electric motor submerged at 75 kW, and a 45 kW petrol engine while it was above the surface. This propulsion system operated a single shaft and, when combined with a 66-cell battery, allowed the submarine to reach speeds of 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) on the surface and 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) underwater. When surfaced, the USS Holland could go 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) at 6 knots, and when submerged, it could travel 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) at 5.5 knots.
Supporting a crew of six, the submarine had a test depth capability of 75 feet (23 metres). With one 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tube that could launch three torpedoes, it possessed impressive weapons on board. The 8.425-inch (214.0 mm) dynamite gun aboard the USS Holland added adaptability to the ship’s offensive powers. During the early stages of submarine technology, the USS Holland was a trailblazer due to its unique blend of modern amenities and small design details.
Operational History:
As the US Navy’s first operational submarine, the USS Holland (SS-1) represented a momentous occasion in naval history. Once christened Holland VI, this experimental battleship proved its worth and authenticity, and on April 11, 1900, the United States government purchased it for $150,000. Known as the first operational submarine of its type, it cleared the path for the Plunger class, comprising the United States’ first fleet of underwater combatants.
After being modified and renamed United States Submarine Torpedo Boat Holland (Submarine-1), the ship was put into service by the US Navy on October 12, 1900, under the command of Lieutenant Harry H. Caldwell. Interestingly, the USS Holland did not have the hull name SS-1 when it was commissioned because historians adopted the present navy identification system retroactively, which was created in 1920, to avoid confusion.
The USS Holland, the first in an uninterrupted line of submarines in the U.S. Navy, was a pioneer although it wasn’t named SS-1. It was the Navy’s fourth submarine, but its historical significance was unmatched. Starting on October 16, 1900, the submarine was used to instruct midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It also helped to train people who would later operate fleet submarines.
The USS Holland proved important in gathering data for other submarines that were being built for experimental purposes. A significant surface run covering 166 miles from January 8–10, 1901, from Annapolis to Norfolk, Virginia, yielded important long-term performance information. The advancement of undersea craft capabilities and knowledge was greatly aided by the submarine.
New Suffolk, New York, can rightfully claim to have been the home of the country’s first submarine base when the USS Holland and five Plunger class submarines were stationed there from 1899 to 1905. The USS Holland was stationed in Annapolis until its decommissioning on July 17, 1905, except for a brief period from June 15 to October 1, 1901, when it trained cadets at the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island.
The USS Holland was decommissioned and placed into reserve in Norfolk, Virginia. It was removed from the Naval Vessel Register on November 21, 1910. Strict conditions were placed on the submarine to guarantee its dismantling and prevent its employment as a ship when it was sold as scrap to Henry A. Hitner & Sons of Philadelphia on June 18, 1913, for $100.
Over time, the ownership and location of the USS Holland were altered after it was devoid of its external fixtures. It was on show in Philadelphia by October 1916, and then it was put on display at the Bronx International Exposition of Science, Arts, and Industries in the Bronx, New York, where it was highlighted in May 1917. Its incredible operational and service history ended in 1932 when the submarine was scrapped after being shown in Paterson, New Jersey.