John Philip Holland was an Irish-American engineer who developed the first submarine to be formally commissioned by the US Navy, and the first Royal Navy submarine, Holland 1.
Background
John Philip Holland was born on February 29, 1840 in Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland. His father, John, Sr., was a member of the British Coastguard Service. His mother, a native Irish speaker from Liscannor, Máire Ní Scannláin (aka Mary Scanlon), was John Holland's second wife, his first, Anne Foley Holland, believed to be a native of Kilkee, died in 1835.
Education
Holland learned English properly only when he attended the local English-speaking St Macreehy's National School, and from 1858, Irish Christian Brothers school in Ennistymon.
Holland joined the Irish Christian Brothers in Limerick and taught in Limerick (CBS Sexton Street) and many other centres in the country including North Monastery CBS in Cork City, St. Mary's CBS, Portlaoise, St Joseph's CBS (Drogheda) and as the first Mathematics teacher in Colaiste Ris (also Dundalk). Due to ill health, he left the Christian Brothers in 1873.
Career
In 1873, John Philip Holland emigrated to the United States, where he first worked for an engineering company, but after a short time continued to work as a teacher, this time at a Catholic school in Paterson, New Jersey. In 1875, he built his first small submarine, driven by one man with the help of a foot-operated drive. The project was proposed to the US Navy, but it was declared unenforceable, and the inventor was refused.
In 1877 and 1879, they built new boats with a gasoline engine. In 1883 he founded Holland torpedo-boat company.
For many years, Holland continued to work on submarine projects, gradually improving them. The boat, that was built by him in 1897, after lengthy checks, was purchased by the US Navy and in 1900 entered service under the name USS Holland (SS-1), becoming the first submarine of the American fleet. The boat had a displacement of 100 tons, 1 screw, Otto Dayts petrol engine for 160 horsepower for a surface speed and an electric motor in 70 hp. for the underwater passage, was armed with one torpedo tube with three torpedoes. The speed of the above-water course was 9 knots, the submarine speed was 7 knots. The range of navigation above the water was 200 miles, under the water - 30 miles. The air reserve allowed the crew to conduct underwater 12 hours. In addition to the American fleet, Dutch ships were purchased by the fleets of Russia, Britain, Japan, the Netherlands and Austria-Hungary. In the following years, Holland built several more advanced types of boats, displacement of 280, 400 and 500 tons.
He died in 1914.
Membership
John Philip Holland was a member of Congregation of Christian Brothers. Due to ill health, he left the Christian Brothers in 1873.
Connections
Holland was married to Margaret Foley of Paterson, New Jersey. They had four children.