1906 – A very bad year for submarines

1906 – A very bad year for submarines The submarine race around the globe was gaining steam as more and more of the major powers sought to join the growing list of naval powers that possessed the underwater craft. The recent war between Russia and Japan was an example of how important the threat of […]

Danger or not: The Navies Must Possess the Terror – Submarines in 1902

A little over two years into America’s experiment with the submarine, one of the early weaknesses was ending up becoming a newsworthy problem. Gasoline The use of gasoline engines for primary power on the surface was problematic to say the least. The fuel was very toxic and explosive and unfortunately unpredictable. Since the fumes were […]

The Little Devils of the Deep – American Submarines in June 1900

In June of 1900, the American seagoing world was still adapting to the idea that a practical submarine machine had been brought into the family. With the Spanish American War in the rear-view mirror, 1900 was exploding with changes of all kinds. The twentieth century would come to be known as the American Century since […]

“The men who go down into the waters in these boats must take their lives in their hands.” Holland’s Invention in 1898

Sunday, April 24, 1898, the San Francisco papers and papers across the country were filled with the latest news about the Spanish American War that was already underway. America woke up that morning to the realization that it had seacoasts that stretched from north to south in both the east and the west. There was […]

The creation of a disordered mind… Holland’s submarine boat

The creation of a disordered mind Centuries of dreams had surrounded the desire and even the need to conquer the underwater world. The industrial age brought with it many new inventions and ideas that were changing the world. The mastery of electricity and modern engines were just part of the growth that propelled man from […]

No One is Laughing Now Mr. Holland

April is submarine month in the United States and April 11, 1900 is traditionally celebrated as the day the submarine force was started with the purchase of the Holland Submarine. This year, I have spent a lot of time researching through the national archives for stories from 1900 or at least from the early part […]

Steam Will Replace Sails? Madness!!!

An Ohio class submarine slips its mooring next to the Delta pier in Bangor Washington. Silently, she glides down the flat calm waters of the Hood Canal on her way to the open ocean. This five hundred sixty foot vessel will soon submerge and begin her primary mission. For over fifty years, ships like this […]