In 2012 the NAS will be continuing to record the hull of the Holland 5 submarine with cameras, video and tape measure survey. The team will also be looking to create a waterproof information notelet to enhance the visitor experience. We will also be taking the opportunity to dive on the Norman's Bay wreck on:
18th May, 30th June and 1st July 2012
Diving in 2012 will be from "Dive125" www.dive125.co.uk out of Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne
Cost £70 for two dives (Fri 18th May) or £75 for two dives (Sat 30th June and Sunday 1st July) - Holland 5 submarine in the morning and the Norman's Bay wreck in the afternoon. Price does not include air or nitrox fills which are available on the boat.
No NAS qualification required.
For the Holland 5 the minimum Diving Qualification is BSAC Dive Leader / PADI Rescue Diver. Nitrox use preferred. NO SINGLE TANKS - Pony rig or twin sets mandatory.
Introduction
The Holland 5 submarine is a remarkable piece of our naval
heritage. She was the first submarine to actually be commissioned
in the Royal Navy, on the 19th January 1903 at the same time as
Holland 3. At this time the Holland's 1, 2 and 4 were still
being reworked.
The Holland class of submarine rapidly become obsolete and in
1912 Holland 5 was destined for destruction and was being towed
to Sheerness when she foundered and sunk at her present location
6 miles SE of the Royal Sovereign Lighthouse,
Sussex, England.
The wreck remained undiscovered (although not undisturbed)
until 1995 when she was found by chance by Kent diver, Jerry
Dowd. Mr Dowd informed Innes McCartney of the find in 2001 and he made his first exploration of the site
in the same year. Mark Beattie Edwards, NAS Programme Director is now the site licencee.
Above right: The Holland 5 submarine at Sea
Below are links to a short movie clip of the Holland 5 as
she currently lies on the sea bed, by Periscope Publishing:
The submarine is upright and in a fair
degree of overall preservation. This is primarily because the
single-hull design means that the pressure hull contains all of
submarines workings, ballast and fuel tanks within. The pressure
hull is, (according to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum) made of a
rare "S" Grade steel only seen these days on the Holland
submarines and the Forth Bridge. The durability of this material
is probably why the main hull of the submarine is still durable
and intact.
Sadly the same cannot be said of the submarine's external
features. The upper superstructure has largely gone and the stern
fins and propeller guard have also been pulled off. The
periscope, which lay down on the deck when not in use, has been
torn away along with the vent pipes for the interior and the
external exhaust piping. There is no evidence of the upper
steering position or compass binnacle and it is possible they
were removed before her final voyage. However the presence of the
exhaust box cover (which was not present on Holland 1 when it was
raised) seems to suggest that she was probably reasonably
complete when she foundered in 1912.
Above: Multibeam survey of Holland 5 on a flat sandy seabed off Eastbourne.
It is the belief of the authors that the site has been
recently subjected to damage by commercial fishing. In 2005 and
2006 the wreck was very heavily netted (much more so than in
2001) and the authors and visiting divers spent at least 3 hours
of bottom time cutting some of the netting away this summer.
Alarmingly there was also a steel cable wrapped over the wreck,
which has almost certainly caused of the destruction of the
submarine's upper works and external features.
Work on the Holland 5
The dives conducted on the site as part of the Holland
5 Project have primarily aimed to cover three areas of activity:
a) Net clearance, b) Photo/Video survey c) Comparative studies of
particular features with Holland 1, now housed at the Royal Navy
Submarine Museum in Gosport, Hampshire
Project Outcomes
The dives conducted in 2006 and 2007 finally led to the site being
freed of the two major nets, which had infested much of the hull
sometime between 2001 and 2005. The nets were removed by both
cutting and moving them off the wreck. This was laborious work
for which thanks should be paid to all of the divers who assisted
in doing this. The buoy line which had become wrapped up around
the bow cap was also freed. A small amount of net remains around
the stern area. This net will be removed in future, but at
present is not considered a threat to the wreck.
Above right: Exhaust box of the Holland 5, still
showing some attached netting.
Below right: Photograph of the damage to the exhaust pipes.
The major damage the nets caused appears to have been to the
cast iron exhaust pipes which lead from the top of the pressure
hull over the petrol engine to the exhaust box further aft along
the upper deck. It was noted that two of the four pipes had been
totally trawled off and a further pipe was only partially
present.
It was noted that the outcome of the successful net clearance
of the foredeck in 2005 has encouraged the marine growth
witnessed in 2001 to begin to grow back.
With the net removed divers were tasked with taking
measurements and photographs of some of the features, which had
been uncovered. The use of video and wide-angle (fisheye)
photography has revealed much about the Holland 5, which differs
from Holland 1. With permission from the Royal Navy Submarine
Museum in February 2006, Innes McCartney was given access to the
top deck of the Holland 1 exhibit and was able to undertake a
photographic survey of the entire deck as it is currently
preserved.
Above: Sketch of the upper deck of the Holland 5, by Julie Morrissey.
It has become readily apparent that the deck of the Holland 5
differs greatly from that of Holland 1. It was always suspected
that this was likely due to the experimental nature of these
submarines. Of particular note were the differences in
construction of the upper deck, different periscope housing
designs, and different construction methods for the
torpedo-loading hatch. This study is at its beginning and we hope
to have a fuller assessment of the differences after next years
diving season.
NAS divers David Dooley and Darren Gosling were tasked with
making a scale drawing of the exhaust box cover. Over two dives
they gathered the measurements and photos needed to do this and
have subsequently produced the finished drawings. The drawings
have been submitted to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum were it is
currently being evaluated to see whether a replica of the Holland
5 exhaust box cover can be fabricated for the Holland 1
exhibit.
Above right: Drawing of the exhaust box lid by
David Dooley.
English Heritage: Theft of the Torpedo Tube Hatch from Holland 5
In June 2010 during a licensed dive by the Nautical Archaeology Society it became apparent that the torpedo tube hatch of the Holland 5, the only surviving example on the seabed of this class of submarine anywhere in the world and a designated wreck, was no longer attached to the submarine. A further survey dive on the 9th August 2010 confirmed it was no longer on the site. English Heritage reported the matter to Sussex police on 26th August and are working closely with them to bring offenders to account and to recover this nationally important asset.
It had been impossible to visit the site in 2009 due to bad weather and the last positive sighting of the hatch was in September 2008. The submarine appears to have significant marine growth in the area the hatch was removed which might indicate the hatch was removed some time ago.
Removing the hatch and accessing the site without a licence is illegal under the Protection of Wrecks Act, 1973. Initial enquiries show that it has not been reported to the Receiver of Wreck, which would also suggest an offence under the Merchant Shipping Act may have been committed.
English Heritage would like to appeal to the diving community for help in locating this important piece of the Holland 5. Individuals can contact Sussex Police or Crime Stoppers 0800 555111
Video of the Holland 5, showing the torpedo tube taken on 2nd June 2010.
Courtesy of Mark Callaghan
Projects 
