HNLMS Castor (1915)

History
Netherlands
Name	Castor
Builder	Marine Etablissement, Surabaya
Launched	1915
Commissioned	1915 Governments Navy 1939 Royal Netherlands Navy
Out of service	2 March 1942
Renamed	Osei Maru (In IJN Service)
Namesake	Castor
Fate	Scuttled by own crew
General characteristics
Type	Auxiliary, Seaplane tender, Salvage ship
Displacement	670 long tons (680 t) standard
Length	53.8 m (176 ft 6 in)
Beam	8.9 m (29 ft 2 in)
Draught	3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Installed power	500  hp (370 kW)
Propulsion	2 × Werkspoor Diesel Engine
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement	43
Armament	0-2 Machine guns 1 x 7.5 cm cannon after militarisation

HNLMS Castor was a salvage ship and patrol boat in the Dutch East Indies serving for the Dienst der Bebakening en kustverlichting. The ship was named after the Greek Mythological figure of Castor and shared this namesake with the ship HNLMS Pollux.

Castor was militarized by the Royal Netherlands Navy upon the outbreak of World War II. ^{[1] [2]}

Service history

HNLMS Castor served as a salvage ship and patrol boat with the Government Navy from the time of its commissioning until the outbreak of the second world war in Europe after which the Royal Netherlands Navy militarized the vessel and stationed it together with the HNLMS Pollux in Surabaya harbor. ^{[1] [2]}

The Castor would be used by the Royal Netherlands Navy as a seaplane tender supporting operations of Dutch Dornier Do 24 and Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats. ^{[1] [2]}

The ship would be raised and repaired by Japanese forces and enter service under the name Osei Maru. It served as a salvage ship and cable layer until hitting a mine southeast of Shōdoshima that caused the loss of the ship. ^{[1] [2]}

References

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.