HNLMS Notre Dame de France

History
Netherlands
Name	Notre Dame de France
Namesake	Notre Dame
Builder	Smith's Dock Company Limited, Stockton-on-Tees
Laid down	1930
Launched	3 February 1931
Commissioned	25 November 1940
Fate	Decommissioned and returned to Royal Navy service 15 January 1942.
General characteristics
Type	Anti-submarine naval trawler
Displacement	458.3  t (451.1 long tons) standard
Length	45.96 m (150 ft 9 in)
Beam	8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Draught	4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Installed power	690  hp (510 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple expansion
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	33
Sensors and processing systems	Asdic, unknown type
Armament	4 × 7.5 cm (3.0 in) cannons 4 × 7.7 mm (0.30 in) Hotchkiss guns

HNLMS Notre Dame de France was originally a French trawler. Upon the outbreak of World War II it was requisitioned by the French Navy in September 1939 and was commissioned as a patrol boat. It was captured by the Royal Navy after the fall of France after which it was loaned to the Royal Netherlands Navy. There the ship was known as Her Netherlands Majesty's French Ship (HNMFS) Notre Dame de France, although it would officially be referred to as Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship (HNLMS) Notre Dame de France. It sailed with both the Netherlands and French flags. ^[1]

Service history

Notre Dame de France was commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy on 25 November 1940. Initially it served as a patrol ship near the British coast before receiving Asdic after which it was used as convoy escort vessel, serving as anti-submarine naval trawler. It often served alongside the other Netherlands-operated French trawler, HNLMS Jean Frederic. ^{[2] [3]}

The ship was returned to the Royal Navy on 15 January 1942 where it was re-commissioned as HMS Notre Dame de France on 25 January 1942. It continued its service in the Royal Navy until December 1945 upon which it was returned to its pre-war owner.

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 2e wereldoorlog Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 9060139038.
3. Bezemer, K.W.L. (1967). Verdreven doch niet verslagen Hilversum: Uitgeversmaatschappij W. de Haan N.V. ISBN 9026920415.