When other navies entered submarines in their service, the Royal Navy reluctantly decided that they also should acquire some submarines for the purpose of evaluating their potential as a weapon.
1901 Five submarines of the type invented by Mr. Holland were ordered by Vickers Sons & Maxim Ltd., Barrow-in-Furness, after an agreement was reached to buy manufacturing rights with the Holland Torpedo Boat Company in the USA to build boats of the Holland No VII design.
Submarine No 2 was laid down on 04 February 1901.
21 February 1902 launched as No 2.
Displacement: 106 surface, 122 submerged, dim. 19.74 x 3.38 x 3.05m.
Powered by a 4-cyl. gasoline engine, 190 bhp, one propeller with four blades, speed surfaced 9 knots, submerged powered by an electric motor, speed 6 knots.
Fitted out with one bow torpedo tube of 18 inch, she carried three Whitehead torpedoes.
Diving depth around 30.5 meter.
Crew 2 officers and 6 men.
01 August 1903 completed.
The boats were built under great security, and by the Admiralty regarded as wholly experimental, and extensive trials were carried out with the boats.
On this class the first application of a periscope to a submarine was fitted.
07 October 1913 was she sold for scrap to Pollock & Brown at Southampton.
Liberia 2001 $20 sg?, scott?
Sources: British Submarines by Alan Burgoyne. http://www.submarinesonstamps.co.il/openhist.php?ID=36
http://www.submariners.co.uk/Boats/DB/index.php