British Submarines

British submarine development during World War One was arguably slower than it should have been, mainly due to the reluctance of the Admiralty to invest in this unknown new weapon. As a result, British submarines formed only a small part of the Royal Navy for the majority of the war. Despite this, Britain boasted the world's largest submarine service and was the first country to put a submarine to sea once war broke out in 1914.

With funding lacking and interest from the Admiralty still far below ideal, the Royal Navy turned to the US for help with design and development. The "Holland" series submarine was just the beginning, marking the start of a new era for the Royal Navy that led to a number of otherwise unlikely victories during World War One and beyond. So much so, that by the end of the war, anti-submarine warfare was also rapidly developing across the world as each nation attempted to protect itself against the growing threat from submarines.