HNLMS Amstelstroom (1936)

History
Netherlands
Name	Amstelstroom
Builder	C. van de Giessen & Zoon, Krimpen aan de IJssel
Laid down	1935
Launched	1936
Commissioned	11 May 1940 Royal Netherlands Navy
Out of service	24 September 1940 Royal Netherlands Navy
Fate	Returned to owner 25 September 1940
General characteristics
Type	Submarine tender
Displacement	395  t (389 long tons) standard
Length	56.54 m (185 ft 6 in)
Beam	8.99 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draught	1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Installed power	750  hp (560 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Werkspoor diesel engine
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)

HNLMS Amstelstroom was originally a coastal transport vessel of the Hollandsche Stoomboot Mij. of Amsterdam. The ship was requisitioned by the Royal Netherlands Navy after the start of the German invasion of the Netherlands to serve as a makeshift submarine tender. ^{[1] [2]}

Service history

The coastal transport ship Amstelstroom was requisitioned on 11 May 1940, one day after the start of World War II for the Netherlands together with other civilian ships. The Royal Netherlands Navy foresaw the need of additional submarine tenders in Dutch waters as the only other such ship was HNLMS Mercuur, causing them to requisition some ships such as Amstelstroom and Mulan. ^{[1] [2]}

HNLMS Amstelstroom was initially be used to transport torpedoes, ammunition and other spare parts for maintaining Royal Netherlands Navy ships from Amsterdam to Portsmouth. Once the Netherlands had fallen, the ship served alongside HNLMS Mulan as a submarine tender at Dundee, Scotland, before being returned to its owner on 25 September 1940. The ship survived the war and continued its transport role until its eventual retirement. ^{[1] [2]}

Citations

1. Mark, Chris (1997). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II. Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 978-90-6013-522-8.
2. von Münching, L. L. (1978). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de tweede wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Alkmaar: Alk. ISBN   978-90-6013-903-5.