M-class minesweeper (Netherlands)

HNLMS M 1
Class overview
Builders	Van der Kuyk & van der Ree Fa. Koopman J & A van der Schuyt
Operators	Royal Netherlands Navy   Kriegsmarine
Succeeded by	A-class
In commission	1918-1992 [1]
Completed	4
Lost	1
General characteristics
Type	Minesweeper
Displacement	M1: 328 t (323 long tons) M2: 205 t (202 long tons) M3 & M4: 230 t (226 long tons)
Length	30 m (98 ft 5 in) (approx.)
Propulsion	M1 & M2: 500 hp (373 kW) engine M3 & M4: 450 hp (336 kW) engine
Speed	M1: 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) M2, M3 & M4: 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	16
Armament	2 x 12.7 mm machine guns

The M class were the first minesweepers of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The need for minesweepers for the Dutch marine came during the First World War when sea mines were laid in great numbers.

Design and construction

The Navy converted four tugboats into minesweepers. ^[2] These ships had been built by three different shipyards; Van der Kuyk & van der Ree in Rotterdam, Fa. Koopman in Dordrecht, and J & A van der Schuyt in Papendrecht. ^{[3] [4]}

Service history

All M class minesweepers were still in service during the Second World War, but none of them was able to escape to the United Kingdom; three of the four ships fell in German hands (M 3 was scuttled). After the war M 1 and M 4 were returned to the Netherlands, and re-entered service as tugboats. ^[2]

Ships in class

M-class construction data ^{[3] [1] [4]}

Ship	Builder	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Fate
M 1	Van der Kuyk & van der Ree	31 October 1918	1949	Sunk at Norderney during a storm
M 2	Koopman	31 October 1918	1940	Sunk at IJmuiden during a storm
M 3	J & A van der Schuyt	1 October 1918	1940	Scuttled at IJmuiden as blockship
M 4	J & A van der Schuyt	1 October 1918	1992	In 1994 turned into a restaurant in Zwolle

References

1. Roetering, p. 18.
2. von Münching, p. 74.
3. von Münching, p. 75.
4. Raven, p. 181.

• Netherlandsnavy.nl :: M class minesweepers ^{[ permanent dead link ]}(in English)
• Mark, C. Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II Alkmaar: De Alk bv, 1997: 106-116
• von Münching, L.L. (1978). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN   90-6013-903-8.
• 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.