A-class minesweeper

Last updated
HNLMS A.jpg
HNLMS A prior to departure to the Dutch East Indies
Class overview
BuildersRijkswerf Willemsoord
Operators
Completed4
Laid up4
General characteristics
Type Minesweeper
Displacement179 long tons (182  t) [1]
Length42.8 m (140 ft 5 in)
Propulsion700 hp (520 kW) engine
Speed13.5–14.5 kn (25.0–26.9 km/h; 15.5–16.7 mph)
Complement3138
Armament2 × 12.7 mm calibre machine guns

The A class were four minesweepers of the Royal Netherlands Navy. They were the first purpose-built minesweepers of the Dutch Navy, as earlier minesweepers were converted tugboats.

Contents

Design

The A class was based on the German FM-type of coastal minesweeper built during the First World War. [2]

History

All ships of the A class were built between 1928 and 1930 at Willemsoord, Den Helder. All four ships were commissioned on 4 August 1930, and two days later, on 6 August 1930, all four sailed to the Dutch East Indies, arriving at Surabaya on 30 October 1930.

During the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies in March 1942 all four ships were scuttled by their crews. Three of the ships, A, B and C, were salvaged and put into service with the Imperial Japanese Navy as auxiliary submarine chasers no. 113, 112 and 116, being rearmed with a single 47 mm gun, three 25 mm cannons, a 13.2 mm machine gun and eight depth charges. All three were sunk by US forces in 19441945. [3]

Ships in class

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HNLMS <i>A</i>

HNLMS A was an A-class minesweeper of the Royal Netherlands Navy that was scuttled by her crew during the Battle of Java. She was later re-floated and repaired by the Japanese and converted into auxiliary submarine chaser Cha-113 or No. 113.

References

  1. Gardiner & Chesneau, 1980, p. 394
  2. Lenton 1967, p. 80
  3. 1 2 3 4 Jentschura et al 1986, p. 223.
  4. "HNMS D of the Royal Dutch Navy". Uboat. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.