HNLMS Zeefakkel (A903)

Last updated
ZEEFAKKEL (48566403002).jpg
Zeefakkel
History
Flag of the Netherlands.svgNetherlands
NameZeefakkel
OperatorNaval Jack of the Netherlands.svg  Royal Netherlands Navy
Builder J. & K. Smit, Kinderdijk
Laid down28 November 1949
Launched21 September 1950
Commissioned22 May 1951
IdentificationA903
General characteristics [1]
Type
Displacement355 t (349 long tons)
Length45.4 m (148 ft 11 in)
Beam7.6 m (24 ft 11 in)
Draught2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
Speed12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Crew29
Armament1 x 40 mm AA gun

HNLMS Zeefakkel was a hydrographic survey vessel built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy. [2] [3] She was specially designed to perform surveys in coastal areas and did this between 1951 and 1972. [4] Later she was turned into a training vessel. [5]

Contents

Design and construction

Zeefakkel was built at the shipyard of J. & K. Smit in Kinderdijk. [6] The ship was laid down on 28 November 1949, launched on 21 September 1950 and commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) on 22 May 1951. [1] The survey vessel got assigned the pennant number A903. [4]

The ship was equipped with two 8 cylinder four-stroke Smit-Man diesel engines that could produce 320 horsepower each, for a total of 640 hp. [2] [7] [1] This allowed Zeefakkel to reach a maximum speed of 12 knots. [4]

For performing surveys the ship was equipped with several systems: it had a echo sounder, radar, ASDIC, Decca and gyrocompass. [7] [8]

Service history

Zeefakkel performed hydrographic surveys till the end of 1972. [4] The ship was afterwards replaced by one of the hydrographic survey vessels of the Buyskes-class. [9] Nonetheless, Zeefakkel did stay in service of the RNN as training vessel. [5]

She was re-engined in 1980.

Zeefakkel was still in service circa 1999-2000, when Jane's Fighting Ships 1999-2000 wrote that she was being used as a local training ship at Den Helder. [10] She was to be replaced by another ship possibly to be launched in late 1999. Jane's no longer listed the ship as having any armament.

After the new vessel was placed in service Zeefakkel was laid up in reserve until January 2000, when she was handed over to the Dutch Sea Cadet Corps as a training ship (nl:Zeekadetkorps). [11] By 2023 she was still in service in that function. [12]

Notes

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 van Amstel (1991), p. 138.
  2. 1 2 "„Zeefakkel" te water gelaten: Nieuw schip van de hydrografische dienst". Het Rotterdamsch Parool (in Dutch). 21 July 1950.
  3. ↑ Woudstra (1982), p. 161.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Woudstra (1982), p. 197.
  5. 1 2 van Amstel (1991), p. 139.
  6. ↑ "De „Zeefakkel" in dienst gesteld". Trouw (in Dutch). 20 March 1951.
  7. 1 2 "„Zeefakkel" in Terschellinger Haven". Harlinger Courant (in Dutch). 23 March 1951.
  8. ↑ "„Zeefakkel" maakt een fakkel op zee: Koninklijke Marine levert „zeeslagen" om Noordzee in kaart te brengen". Het Vaderland (in Dutch). 28 August 1956.
  9. ↑ "Boele bouwt marineschepen". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 5 February 1971.
  10. ↑ Sharpe 1999, p. 479.
  11. ↑ Alvama (2019-09-18). "WARSHIPSRESEARCH: Dutch survey later training ship Hr. Ms. Zeefakkel (A 903) 1949-2000". WARSHIPSRESEARCH. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  12. ↑ "Het Korpsschip". Zeekadetkorps Hellevoetsluis (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-01-22.

Related Research Articles

<i>Alkmaar</i>-class minehunter

The Alkmaar class is a ship class of fifteen minehunters that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy. They are based on the design of the Tripartite class, which was developed by a collaborative effort between the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and replaced the minesweepers and minehunters of the Dokkum class.

<i>Buyskes</i>-class hydrographic survey vessel Shipss of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

The Buyskes class was a class of two hydrographic survey vessels that were part of the Dutch Hydrographic Service of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Together with HNLMS Tydeman the ships of this class were the main ships of the Dutch Hydrographic Service during the last quarter of the 20th century. While the ships of the Buyskes class were built for performing hydrographic research, the Tydeman was focused on oceanography.

<i>Van Straelen</i>-class minesweeper

The Van Straelen class was a ship class of sixteen minesweepers that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). They were taken into service of the RNN between 1960 and 1962 and served until 1 March 1983.

The Beemster-class was a class of fourteen minesweepers that were built at different shipyards in the United States for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). The minesweepers were based on the AMS-60 design and paid for by the United States under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP). The minesweepers served in the RNN between 1953 and 1976.

<i>Balder</i>-class patrol vessel

The Balder-class patrol vessels were a class of five patrol vessels built for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1950s at the Rijkswerf in Willemsoord, Den Helder. They were paid for by the United States under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP). The ships were used to patrol the Dutch coast and waterways.

<i>Dokkum</i>-class minesweeper Ship class of minehunters

The Dokkum class was a ship class of eighteen minesweepers that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy. They were paid for by the United States under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP).

<i>Onversaagd</i>-class minesweeper Ship class of minehunters

The Onversaagd class was a ship class of six minesweepers that were built in the United States for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). They were paid for by the United States under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP). The minesweepers were based on the design of the Aggressive class and taken into service of the RNN between 1954 and 1955.

HNLMS Wamandai (A870) was a tugboat of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). She was built in the Netherlands and served between 1962 and 1985 in the RNN.

HNLMS Wambrau (A871) was a tugboat of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). She served in the RNN between 1957 and 1987.

The P 1-class was a ship class of four patrol vessels that were built at the Marine Etablissement te Soerabaja in the Dutch East Indies. They were the first patrol vessels that were built in the Dutch East Indies for the Royal Netherlands Navy.

HNLMS <i>Johan Maurits van Nassau</i> (1943)

HNLMS Johan Maurits van Nassau (F802) was a River-class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). She was built in the United Kingdom originally for the Royal Navy as HMS Ribble, however, during the construction the frigate was acquired by the RNN. She served in the RNN between 1943 and 1958.

HNLMS <i>Pro Patria</i> (1922) Minelayer of the Royal Netherlands Navy

HNLMS Pro Patria was a minelayer of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). She was built in the Dutch East Indies and served between 1923 and 1942 in the RNN.

HNLMS <i>Rigel</i> (1931)

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. The ship was militarized in 1939 and taken into service of the Royal Netherlands Navy, where it served as minelayer between 1939 and 1942.

HNLMS Pollux was a steamship of the Dienst der Bebakening en kustverlichting. She was built in the Netherlands and used as lightship and beacon ship. In 1939 the ship was militarized and taken into service of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

<i>Snellius</i>-class hydrographic survey vessel (1950)

The Snellius class was a ship class of two hydrographic survey vessels that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy. They were specially designed to be able to conduct surveys under tropical conditions.

<i>Dreg I</i>-class hydrographic survey vessel

The Dreg I class was a ship class of four hydrographic survey vessels that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). They served in the RNN between 1950 and 1986.

HNLMS Nautilus (M12) was a minelayer and patrol vessel of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). She was built in the Netherlands and served in the RNN between 1930 and 1941.

HNLMS <i>Jan van Brakel</i> (1936)

HNLMS Jan van Brakel was a minelayer and patrol vessel of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). She was built in the Netherlands and served in the RNN between 1936 and 1957.

HNLMS <i>Van Bochove</i>

HNLMS Van Bochove (A923) was a ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy that was used to test torpedoes. After the removal of its torpedo tubes the ship served for a while as a communication ship.

<i>Westgat</i>-class tugboat Class of tugboat

The Westgat class was a ship class of two tugboats that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy. One of the vessels was later sold to the Belgian Navy.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.