HNLMS Schouten

History
Netherlands
Name	Schouten
Builder	Maatschappij Fijenoord, Rotterdam
Laid down	1912
Commissioned	December 7th 1941
Out of service	February 28th 1942
Renamed	Suiten Maru (Under Japanese service 1943-1945)
Fate	Scuttled by own crew, raised by Japanese forces, torpedoed in 1945
General characteristics
Type	Anti-air Ship
Displacement	1,805 t (1,776 long tons) standard
Length	82.37 m (270 ft 3 in)
Beam	12.24 m (40 ft 2 in)
Draught	5.15 m (16 ft 11 in)
Installed power	1,100  hp (820 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Triple expansion
Speed	10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph)
Complement	26
Armament	Many anti-air machineguns of different calibers

HNLMS Schouten served as an air-defense ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy during World War II. SS Schouten was originally a passenger ship for the KPM. She was stationed in Surabaya harbor as a training ship in 1941. On 7 December 1941 Schouten was commandeered and militarized by the Royal Netherlands Navy due to the outbreak of war in the Pacific. ^[1]

Service history

HNLMS Schouten was converted to air defense ship at Surabaya harbor. She was armed with many anti-air machine guns of different calibers. After conversion, she set out for the island of Gili Genteng in the Madura Strait where she was stationed to provide air defense. After the disastrous outcome of the Battle of the Java Sea, she was scuttled by her own crew as she would not be able to safely escape to Australia. ^{[2] [3]}

The wreckage was refloated by the Japanese in 1943, repaired and renamed to Suiten Maru. She was sunk by an American bomber attack in 1944, raised and repaired again, and sunk one last time by a torpedo from USS Sea Robin on 3 March 1945. ^[4]

References

1. Mark, Chris (1997). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II (in Dutch). Alkmaar, Holland: 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.
3. Bezemer, K.W.L. (1967). Verdreven doch niet verslagen (in Dutch). Hilversum: Uitgeversmaatschappij W. de Haan N.V. ISBN   9026920415.
4. Bezemer, K. W. L. (1987). Verdreven doch niet verslagen: verdere verrichtingen der Koninklijke marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Houten: De Boer maritiem. ISBN   978-90-269-2041-7.