Lancelot Holland
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral Lancelot Ernest Holland, CB
(13 September 1887–24 May 1941) commanded the British force in the Battle of Denmark Strait in May, 1941 against the German
battleship
Bismarck
. Holland was killed during the battle.
and was raised in the Banburyshire
area. He entered the Royal Navy
on 15 May 1902. On leaving HMS Britannia
in September 1903, he was drafted to the China Station
to join HMS Eclipse. He served in the far east until August 1905, the later part of his time there being spent in HMS Hampshire
.
Returning home, he saw brief service during the summer of 1908 in the Admiralty surveying ship HMS Research. But the surveying service proved not to be Holland's forte and three years later on 14 September 1911 the young Lieutenant Holland joined HMS Excellent, the Royal Navy's Gunnery school at Whale Island, Portsmouth to start the 'Long Course' which would qualify him as a Lieutenant (G).
Having qualified as a Gunnery Lieutenant and gone on to take the advanced Gunnery course at Greenwich
, Holland sat out the years of World War I in a teaching role aboard HMS Excellent. He was promoted to Commander on 31 December 1919 and captain
on 30 June 1926.
During the period May, 1929 to February, 1931, Holland was flag captain
to the 2nd cruiser squadron, aboard HMS Hawkins
. From May 1931 to September 1932, Holland headed the British Naval Mission to Greece
. As a rear admiral
he was flag captain aboard the battleship HMS Revenge
from July 1934 to July 1935.
to King George VI
, he was promoted to vice admiral
and commanded the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet
from January 1938 to August, 1939, flying his flag in HMS Resolution
. He then became Admiralty
representative at the Air Ministry
.
on November 27, 1940.
By this time, Holland had established himself as a gunnery specialist.
. Conventional naval thinking in the 1920s and 1930s was that the battlecruiser was designed to hunt and overtake fast commerce raiders, like a pocket battleship or another battlecruiser, a ship too powerful for a cruiser to destroy and too fast for a battleship to catch. HMS Hood
was the last battlecruiser built by the Royal Navy.
No British battleship was fast enough to catch the new German battleship, Bismarck, then the most powerful in the world. Her mission was to evade action and make for the open seas to attack convoys. Hood was needed to stop her. The navy recognized that Hood needed to be rebuilt to strengthen her decks to protect the vulnerable magazines, but, by 1938, with war threatening, the Admiralty
felt that they could not risk taking her out of commission. Britain had only three battlecruisers to match the three German pocket battleships.
Holland was 53 years old, a short, trim man with almost white hair. He was rather shy, but intelligent, well read, very capable and quite ambitious.
In May, 1941, the new German battleship Bismarck attempted to break out into the North Atlantic, accompanied by the heavy cruiser
, Prinz Eugen. Their mission was to attack Allied convoys. Holland flew his flag aboard Hood, which was accompanied by the new battleship HMS Prince of Wales, which mounted ten 14" guns as opposed to the eight 15" on the Hood and the Bismarck. On 22 May, just after midnight, Electra
, Achates
, Antelope, Anthony
, Echo, and Icarus
, escorting the Hood and Prince Of Wales, sailed to cover the northern approaches. Prince of Wales had not time to complete the training of her new crew, and was pressed into service with builder's representatives still aboard. The intention was that the force would refuel in Hvalfjord, Iceland
, and then sail again to watch the Denmark Strait. On the evening of 23 May, weather deteriorated. At 2055, Admiral Holland aboard the Hood signalled the destroyers "If you are unable to maintain this speed I will have to go on without you. You should follow at your best speed." At 0215 on the morning of 24 May, the destroyers were ordered to spread out at 15 mile intervals to search to the north.
At about 0535, the German forces were sighted by the Hood, and shortly after, the Germans sighted the British ships. In the ensuing Battle of Denmark Strait, though Holland's dispositions and tactics are generally regarded by naval historians as sound, the Hood suffered a catastrophic magazine explosion at 0601 that broke the ship in half; the Admiral and all but three of the crew of the Hood were lost. One of the survivors, Ted Briggs
, later confirmed that Holland was last seen still sitting in his admiral's chair, making no attempt to escape the sinking wreck.
Prince of Wales made her escape with some damage, including a hit on her bridge which killed most of her officers. One of the salvos from Prince Of Wales damaged Bismarck's fuel tanks, and prompted her to make for France
.
Admiral Holland and his family attended the Anglican
parish Church of St. John the Baptist at Boldre in the New Forest
, Hampshire
, England
. They had a memorial to their son installed there and later a Hood Memorial Chapel was dedicated. An annual memorial service is held to remember Admiral Holland and the crew of the Hood. A public house in Banbury
, The Admiral Holland, is named after him.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(13 September 1887–24 May 1941) commanded the British force in the Battle of Denmark Strait in May, 1941 against the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
. Holland was killed during the battle.
Early life
Admiral Holland was one of six sons and a daughter of a doctor who was also a brewer for the firm, Hunt and Edmonds. He was born in Middleton CheneyMiddleton Cheney
Middleton Cheney is a civil parish and the largest village in South Northamptonshire, England. It is situated between Banbury and Brackley. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 3,753.-Local amenities:...
and was raised in the Banburyshire
Banburyshire
-Location:Banburyshire is an informal area of England that is centred on the market town of Banbury. The county of Oxfordshire has two main commercial centres, the city of Oxford itself that serves most of the south of the county, and Banbury that serves the north plus parts of the...
area. He entered the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
on 15 May 1902. On leaving HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
in September 1903, he was drafted to the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
to join HMS Eclipse. He served in the far east until August 1905, the later part of his time there being spent in HMS Hampshire
HMS Hampshire (1903)
HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyne and Wear and commissioned in 1905 at a cost of £833,817....
.
Returning home, he saw brief service during the summer of 1908 in the Admiralty surveying ship HMS Research. But the surveying service proved not to be Holland's forte and three years later on 14 September 1911 the young Lieutenant Holland joined HMS Excellent, the Royal Navy's Gunnery school at Whale Island, Portsmouth to start the 'Long Course' which would qualify him as a Lieutenant (G).
Having qualified as a Gunnery Lieutenant and gone on to take the advanced Gunnery course at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, Holland sat out the years of World War I in a teaching role aboard HMS Excellent. He was promoted to Commander on 31 December 1919 and captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
on 30 June 1926.
During the period May, 1929 to February, 1931, Holland was flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
to the 2nd cruiser squadron, aboard HMS Hawkins
HMS Hawkins (D86)
HMS Hawkins was a Hawkins-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Chatham Dockyard and launched on 1 October 1917. With the conversion of her sister, HMS Cavendish, to become the aircraft carrier HMS Vindictive, HMS Hawkins became the name ship of her class.-Interwar career:HMS...
. From May 1931 to September 1932, Holland headed the British Naval Mission to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. As a rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
he was flag captain aboard the battleship HMS Revenge
HMS Revenge (06)
HMS Revenge was the lead ship of the Revenge class of battleships of the Royal Navy, the ninth to bear the name. She was launched during World War I in 1915. Though the class is often referred to as the Royal Sovereign class, official documents of 1914–1918 refer to the class as the Revenge class...
from July 1934 to July 1935.
Senior Officer
After a 1937 stint as naval ADCAide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, he was promoted to vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
and commanded the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet
British Atlantic Fleet
The Atlantic Fleet was a major fleet formation of the Royal Navy.There have been two main formations in the Royal Navy officially called the Atlantic Fleet. The first was created in 1909 and lasted until 1914...
from January 1938 to August, 1939, flying his flag in HMS Resolution
HMS Resolution (1915)
HMS Resolution was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy. She was laid down at Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow on 29 November 1913, launched on 14 January 1915, and commissioned on 30 December 1916....
. He then became Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
representative at the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
.
World War Two
From July, 1940, Holland commanded the 7th Cruiser Squadron, serving in the Mediterranean. During the course of this command he led his cruisers in the Battle of Cape SpartiventoBattle of Cape Spartivento
The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War...
on November 27, 1940.
By this time, Holland had established himself as a gunnery specialist.
The North Atlantic and Nemesis
Holland's next assignment was in command of the Battlecruiser Squadron. Britain had only three of these ships left. They were capital ships that carried heavy guns, but sacrificed armour protection for built for speed. They were especially vulnerable to plunging fire penetrating their decks and exploding their ammunition magazines. They were a concept of Admiral John Fisher before World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Conventional naval thinking in the 1920s and 1930s was that the battlecruiser was designed to hunt and overtake fast commerce raiders, like a pocket battleship or another battlecruiser, a ship too powerful for a cruiser to destroy and too fast for a battleship to catch. HMS Hood
HMS Hood (51)
HMS Hood was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. One of four s ordered in mid-1916, her design—although drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction—still had serious limitations. For this reason she was the only ship of her class to be...
was the last battlecruiser built by the Royal Navy.
No British battleship was fast enough to catch the new German battleship, Bismarck, then the most powerful in the world. Her mission was to evade action and make for the open seas to attack convoys. Hood was needed to stop her. The navy recognized that Hood needed to be rebuilt to strengthen her decks to protect the vulnerable magazines, but, by 1938, with war threatening, the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
felt that they could not risk taking her out of commission. Britain had only three battlecruisers to match the three German pocket battleships.
Holland was 53 years old, a short, trim man with almost white hair. He was rather shy, but intelligent, well read, very capable and quite ambitious.
In May, 1941, the new German battleship Bismarck attempted to break out into the North Atlantic, accompanied by the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
, Prinz Eugen. Their mission was to attack Allied convoys. Holland flew his flag aboard Hood, which was accompanied by the new battleship HMS Prince of Wales, which mounted ten 14" guns as opposed to the eight 15" on the Hood and the Bismarck. On 22 May, just after midnight, Electra
HMS Electra (H27)
HMS Electra was a Royal Navy 'E' class destroyer . She was ordered on 1 November 1932 as part of the 1931 Naval Build Programme; launched on 15 February 1934 at the Hawthorn Leslie Shipyard at Hebburn, Tyneside...
, Achates
HMS Achates (H12)
HMS Achates was an A-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy launched on 4 October 1929 and commissioned on 27 March 1930. She was sunk on 31 December 1942 in the Battle of the Barents Sea.-Battle of the Denmark Strait:...
, Antelope, Anthony
HMS Anthony (H40)
HMS Anthony was an A-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War.-Construction and commissioning:Anthony was ordered from Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock, Scotland on 6 March 1928 under the 1927 Programme...
, Echo, and Icarus
HMS Icarus (D03)
HMS Icarus was an I-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy in World War II.On 29 November 1939, Icarus sighted the German U-boat U-35 between the Shetland Islands and Bergen , but was unable to launch an effective attack because her ASDIC was out of commission. Fellow destroyers and ...
, escorting the Hood and Prince Of Wales, sailed to cover the northern approaches. Prince of Wales had not time to complete the training of her new crew, and was pressed into service with builder's representatives still aboard. The intention was that the force would refuel in Hvalfjord, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, and then sail again to watch the Denmark Strait. On the evening of 23 May, weather deteriorated. At 2055, Admiral Holland aboard the Hood signalled the destroyers "If you are unable to maintain this speed I will have to go on without you. You should follow at your best speed." At 0215 on the morning of 24 May, the destroyers were ordered to spread out at 15 mile intervals to search to the north.
At about 0535, the German forces were sighted by the Hood, and shortly after, the Germans sighted the British ships. In the ensuing Battle of Denmark Strait, though Holland's dispositions and tactics are generally regarded by naval historians as sound, the Hood suffered a catastrophic magazine explosion at 0601 that broke the ship in half; the Admiral and all but three of the crew of the Hood were lost. One of the survivors, Ted Briggs
Ted Briggs
Albert Edward Pryke "Ted" Briggs, MBE was a British seaman and the last survivor of the destruction of the battlecruiser HMS Hood...
, later confirmed that Holland was last seen still sitting in his admiral's chair, making no attempt to escape the sinking wreck.
Prince of Wales made her escape with some damage, including a hit on her bridge which killed most of her officers. One of the salvos from Prince Of Wales damaged Bismarck's fuel tanks, and prompted her to make for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Family
Admiral Holland was married and had one son, John, who died of polio at the age of 18 in 1935.Admiral Holland and his family attended the Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
parish Church of St. John the Baptist at Boldre in the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They had a memorial to their son installed there and later a Hood Memorial Chapel was dedicated. An annual memorial service is held to remember Admiral Holland and the crew of the Hood. A public house in Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, The Admiral Holland, is named after him.