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2001 marked the centenary of the Royal Navy Submarine Service
- an era ushered in by the launch of the crude, petrol-driven Holland
1 in Barrow-in-Furness.
From that tentative start - unloved by the Admiralty, shunned by
'proper' officers - British submarines developed at an astonishing
pace, so that by World War I the highly-effective E-class boats
were taking the war to the enemy far from UK shores.
These pioneers were recognised for their ingenuity and bravery,
not least in the first of 14 Victoria Crosses and numerous other
awards.
The fact that 5,000 courageous officers and ratings were lost in
war and peace - often unnoticed until a patrolling boat was overdue
or missed a rendezvous - adds to the mystique, poignancy and fascination
of the Silent Service.
In a series of four special features commissioned by Navy News,
Cdr Richard Compton-Hall (who died in December 2001) and Cdr Jeff
Tall, Director of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport, recount
the rapid progression from the tiny Holland boats to the giant nuclear
missile boats of the modern Royal Navy.
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