HNLMS Rigel (1931)

Rigel
History
Netherlands
Name	Rigel
Operator	Government Navy   Royal Netherlands Navy
Builder	Nederlandsche Dok Maatschappij, Amsterdam
Laid down	3 March 1930
Launched	7 March 1931
Commissioned	6 November 1931
Fate	Scuttled on 2 March 1942 as blockship
General characteristics [1]
Type	Multi-purpose steamship
Displacement	1,631 t (1,605 long tons)
Length	67.50 m (221 ft 5 in)
Beam	11.04 m (36 ft 3 in)
Draught	3.06 m (10 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	2 propellers 1,450 hp (1,080 kW) 2 x Triple expansion engine
Speed	12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)
Crew	67
Armament	2 x 7.5 cm cannon 2 x 12.7 mm machine guns 150 mines

HNLMS Rigel was a multi-purpose steamship of the Government Navy that could also be used as minelayer and as yacht for the Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies. ^{[2] [3]} The ship was militarized in 1939 and taken into service of the Royal Netherlands Navy, where it served as minelayer between 1939 and 1942. ^{[4] [5]}

Design and construction

Rigel was built in the Netherlands at the Nederlandsche Dok Maatschappij. ^[6] The ship's construction began on 3 March 1930, it was launched on 7 March 1931 and commissioned into the Government Navy on 6 November 1931. ^[1] The costs of building the ship was estimated to be 1.080.000 Dutch guilders, which was considered to be quite low for this type of ship. ^{[7] [8]}

The ship was equipped with a double set of rails on her deck that could carry a total of 150 mines. ^{[3] [9]} After being militarized in 1939 Rigel also got equipped with a ASDIC installation between 1940 and 1941. ^[10]

Service history

In April 1938 Rigel towed the hydrographic survey vessel Hydrograaf to Soerabaja after it had lost a propeller. ^{[11] [12]}

Second World War

Between 1939 and 1942 Rigel laid down mines in the waters of the Dutch East Indies. ^[4] Starting in August 1939 the ship was made ready to mine the Westervaarwater near Soerabaja. ^[13] In December 1941 it mined the access waters to Tandjong Priok. ^[14] A few months later, in February 1942, Rigel laid down mines together with the HNLMS Krakatau at the coast of Madoera. ^[15]

On 2 March 1942 Rigel was scuttled by its crew and used as blockship at the northern port entrance of Tandjong Priok. ^{[1] [16]}

In March 1944 the ship was lifted and partly restored by the Japanese. ^[4] After Japan surrendered in 1945 the ship was found and handed over to the Dienst van Scheepsvaart (DvS). ^{[1] [17]}

In 1951 the ship was transferred to the Indonesian Navy. ^[1]

Notes

Citations

1. Mark (1997), p. 105.
2. "De "Rigel": Ondergaat kostbare verbouwing". Algemeen handelsblad voor Nederlandsch-Indië (in Dutch). 5 June 1934.
3. Bosscher (1986), p. 36.
4. von Münching (1978), p. 72.
5. "Nieuw opnamevaartuig Hydrografische Dienst: Zeekaarten moeten doorlopend herzien worden". De Vrije Pers (in Dutch). 29 June 1953.
6. "Gouvernementsstoomschip "Rigel": Proeftochten". Algemeen Handelsblad (in Dutch). 5 September 1931.
7. "Gouvernements scheepsbouw in Holland". Soerabaijasch handelsblad (in Dutch). 21 February 1931.
8. "De "Rigel"". Soerabaijasch handelsblad (in Dutch). 18 February 1931.
9. "Van mijnenlegger tot gouvernementsvaartuig: De "Rigel" naar Indië vertrokken". De Locomotief (in Dutch). 4 January 1932.
10. Bosscher (1986), p. 149.
11. "Hydrograaf heeft averij: Schroef verloren". De Avondpost (in Dutch). 13 April 1938.
12. "Opleidingsvaartuig verloor een schroef". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 14 April 1938.
13. Roetering (1997), p. 34.
14. "Oude mijnenlegger voor hydrografische dienst". Het nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (in Dutch). 1 July 1953.
15. Roetering (1997), p. 35.
16. Bosscher (1986), p. 327.
17. Raven (1988), p. 181.

References

• Mark, Chris (1997). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN   90-6013-522-9.
• von Münching, L.L. (1978). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Alkmaar: Alk. ISBN   90-6013-903-8.
• Bosscher, Ph.M. (1986). De Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Vol. 2: Indië tot en met 8 maart 1942. Franeker: Wever. ISBN   90-6135-372-6.
• Raven, G.J.A., ed. (1988). De kroon op het anker: 175 jaar Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN   90-6707-200-1.
• Roetering, B., ed. (1997). Mijnendienst 1907-1997 90 jaar: feiten, verhalen en anekdotes uit het negentigjarig bestaan van de Mijnendienst van de Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). ISBN   90-90-10528-X.