3-086-188 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Spanish-American War: America's new armoured torpedo-boat, "Holland", 1898. '...a drawing of the new semi-submerged torpedo-boat, heavily armoured to fight at close range, which has been designed by Mr. Holland to carry a considerable crew and to combine the properties of a torpedo-boat and a torpedo-boat destroyer. The vessel is to be 220 ft. long, 24 ft. wide, and drawing 14 ft. of water. Its displacement will be 1000 tons, the engines will have 10,000 or 12,000 horse-power and develop a speed of 25 knots. The armoured superstructure to protect the smoke-stacks and companion-way is to be between 30 ft. and 40 ft. long and 10 ft. wide in the middle, the ends being made half round. The armament will consist of four large rapid-firing guns of 10 lb. or 121b. calibre, in revolving turrets. When light, the super- structure will be only 15 in. above water in the middle; in action it will be covered by 4 ft. of water, and the guns will be but 5ft. above the water-line'. Irish marine engineer John Philip Holland (1841-1914) developed USS Holland (SS-1), the first submarine to be formally commissioned by the US Navy. From "Illustrated London News", 1898.