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Submarine Wreck Given Protection
By Pat Hurst, PA News, Scotsman.com
The wreck of a historic prototype submarine has been given special protection, the Government announced today.
The Holland no.5 submarine, built at the turn of the century, was discovered off Beachy Head, East Sussex (UK) in 2000.
The wreck has now been designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act to protect it from damage caused by divers.
The submarine, built by the Holland Torpedo Boat Company in
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, contains one of the first periscopes.
It was the last of five Holland submarines to be made following a decision by the British Admiralty during the 1890s to evaluate the submarine's potential as a weapon.
The Holland no.5 was launched in May 1902 and foundered off the coast of East Sussex on 8 August 1912.
Heritage Minister Andrew McIntosh said: "The Holland no.5 played a short but significant role in the evolution of the British submarine and the survival of this boat gives a unique opportunity to study the technology of the time including the possible prototype of the submarine periscope."
Only two of its type survive to this day. The Holland no.1 was salvaged in 1982 and is now displayed at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport in Hampshire.
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