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John Philip Holland (Irish: Seán Pilib Ó Maolchalann) (29 February 1840 –12 August 1914^[1]) was an engineer who developed the first submarine to be formally commissioned by the U.S. Navy (though not the first American submarine, see American Civil War submarines, and the earlier Nautilus and Turtle) and the first ever Royal Navy submarine, the Holland 1.

Contents 1 Fenian involvement and emigration to the United States 2 British involvement 3 Death 4 See also 5 Patents 6 References 7 External links

He was one of four brothers who were born in Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland to an Irish speaking mother, Máire Ní Scannláin, and John Holland, and learned English properly only when he attended the local English-speaking National School system and, from 1858, in the Christian Brothers in Ennistymon.^[2] He and his brother, Mícheál, were both active in the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), the precursor to the Irish Republican Army. Mícheál introduced the inventor to the revolutionary group. Holland and the Fenians conceived a plan to develop a small submarine that could be sealifted on a large merchant ship to an area near an unsuspecting British warship. The submarine would then be released from the bottom of the merchant vessel and attack the warship.

John Philip Holland was an Irish inventor who came to the United States in 1873. In 1875 his first submarine designs were submitted for consideration by the U.S. Navy, but turned down as unworkable. The Fenians, however, continued to fund Holland's research and development expenses at a level that allowed him to resign from his teaching post. In 1881 Fenian Ram was launched, but soon after, Holland and the Fenians parted company angrily, primarily due to issues of payment within the Fenian organization, and between the Fenians and Holland.^[3]

Holland continued to improve his designs and worked on several experimental boats, prior to his successful efforts with a privately built type, launched on 17 May 1897. This was the first submarine having power to run submerged for any considerable distance, and the first to combine electric motors (for dived use) and gasoline engines (for surfaced). She was purchased by the Navy (on 11 April 1900) after rigorous tests and was (commissioned 12 October 1900 as USS Holland), and six more of her type were ordered (as the Adder class submarines) built under the direct supervision of Arthur L. Busch, a recent British emigre to the United States and head of construction at Elizabeth, New Jersey's Crescent Shipyard. This is where the revolutionary Holland VI/USS Holland was developed - as Busch worked in concert with Mr. Holland in his goals to perfect the submersible - beginning with the submarine boat, Holland VI, laid down at the end of 1896 at Lewis Nixon's yard. This pioneering submarine became the United States Navy first fully commissioned submarine and it was known as USS Holland (SS-1). [The success of Holland's submarines led to the foundations of both The Electric Boat Company and the company that is now known as General Dynamics Corporation.

The work on these first fleet of submarines was accomplished at Lewis Nixon's Crescent Shipyard located in Elizabeth, New Jersey [USA]. This basic design (of the Holland VI) was also adopted by the Royal Navy (with Holland's input, as the Holland class submarine, including Holland 1) and Imperial Japanese Navy for their first [5] submarines - although these submarines were at least 10 feet longer at (about 63' 10"). The Japanese subs were initially assembled at the Fore-River Ship and Engine Company in Quincy, MA. by Arthur L. Busch while under the Electric Boat name and banner. Other "advanced" nations rapidly adopted these designs as well - as Holland was able to obtain patents for his inventions in other countries during this time.

Holland also designed the Holland II and Holland III prototypes.

In the early years of the 20th century Great Britain became interested in the submarines designed by Holland, and commissioned several including the Holland 1 for the Royal Navy.

After spending 57 of his 74 years working with submersibles, John Philip Holland died in August 1914 in Newark, New Jersey.

• List of people on stamps of Ireland

• U.S. Patent 239,046  Screw Propeller
• U.S. Patent 337,000  Hydrocarbon Engine
• U.S. Patent 472,670  Submergible Boat
• U.S. Patent 491,051  Submarine Gun
• U.S. Patent 492,960  Steering Apparatus
• U.S. Patent 522,177  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 537,113  Submerigible Boat
• U.S. Patent 681,221  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 681,222  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 683,400  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 684,429  Visual Indicator
• U.S. Patent 693,272  Auto Dive Mechanism
• U.S. Patent 694,153  Auto Ballast
• U.S. Patent 694,154  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 694,643  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 696,971  Firing Valve
• U.S. Patent 696,972  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 702,728  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 702,729  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 706,561  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 708,552  Submarine Gun
• U.S. Patent 708,553  Submarine Boat
• U.S. Patent 815,350  Submarine Boat

• John Philip Holland, Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.
• Who Built Those Subs? Naval History Magazine, Oct. 1998 125th Anniversary issue, pp.31-34. Richard Knowles Morris PhD. Published by the USNI Annapolis, MD.
• International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 86 under General Dynamics/Electric Boat Corporation, July, 2007. Pages 136-139. Published by St. James Press/Thomposon Gale Group.

• Gary W. McCue, "John Philip Holland (1841-1914) And His Submarines". Geocities.com.
• Edward C. Whitman, "John Philip Holland: Father of the Modern Submarine". (ed. Article on John Holland from Undersea Warfare.)
• Holland's Submarines Photos of John Holland's Submarine #1 and the Fenian Ram at the Paterson Museum
• The Paterson Museum Home of John Holland's first and second submarines in Paterson, NJ
• Chief of Naval Operations/Submarine Warfare Division/Submarine Pioneers [http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/history/pioneers.html)