HMS A5 was laid down at Vickers Barrow-in-Furness shipyard in 1903, launched on 3 March 1904 and completed on 11 February 1905. Immediately after commissioning, she and her tender HMS HAZARD travelled to Queenstown (now Cobh) in the Republic of Ireland. On 16 February 1905, whilst berthed alongside HMS HAZARD, an explosion occurred on board, with a second explosion about 30 minutes later. Six of the crew were killed by the explosions. The captain, Lieutenant H J G Good, and the other four crew members survived.

Sub-Lieutenant Skinner’s remains were taken to his home town, Bedford, where he was buried with full military honours. The remains of the five ratings were interred in Old Church Cemetery near Cobh, with full military honours on 20 February 1905. It was a funeral the like of which has never been seen in Cobh since. Bands and pipers from HMS EMERALD, the Royal Gordon Highlanders and that of the Admiral in charge of the Haulbowline Naval Base, Rear Admiral McLeod. The town of Cobh actually closed down for the duration of the funeral, in a mark of respect to the deceased submariners.

An enquiry into the accident concluded that petrol fumes had been ignited by an electrical spark, with the second explosion caused by smouldering debris from the first event.

The submarine was returned to Barrow-in-Furness the following month for repairs and returned to service in the Home Fleet in October. She was used for training until paid off for disposal in December 1915 and was finally broken up in Portsmouth in 1920.