| Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service | |
|---|---|
| Mijnendienst | |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Country |  Netherlands |
| Branch | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence |
| Engagements | |
The Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service (Dutch: Mijnendienst) is a department within the Royal Netherlands Navy that is responsible for keeping Dutch coastal waterways and approaches to major seaport areas mine-free. [1] [2] It was established out of the Royal Netherlands Navy Torpedo Service in 1907. [3]
The Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service was established in 1907 when the first Dutch naval mine, Type 1907, was taken into service. [4] The decision to introduce the naval mine was made a year earlier in 1906 and was likely influenced by the important role that mines had played during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. [5] [6] The first minelayers and minesweepers that were used by the mine service consisted of ships that had been modified to be able to lay or sweep mines. [7]
During the First World War the minelayers of the mine service laid several defensive minefields to defend the neutrality of the Netherlands. [2] [8] The idea behind the minefields was that it would make it harder for foreign naval ships to enter Dutch territorial waters. [9] Besides laying minefields the ships and personnel of the mine service were also involved in disabling drifting and stranded mines. [9] The important role of the mine service during this period led to a increase of new material. [10] [7] As a result the mine service had at the end of the First World War 17 minelayers in service. [6]
Emblem of the Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service (in Dutch)
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.
SM UC-8 was a German Type UC I minelayer submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The U-boat had been ordered by November 1914 and was launched on 6 July 1915. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 5 July 1915 as SM UC-8. Mines laid by UC-8 in her one patrol are not known to have sunk any ships. UC-8 ran aground on the Dutch coast near Terschelling on 4 November 1915. Interned by the Dutch, UC-8 was purchased and commissioned into the Dutch Navy as HNLMS M 1. The submarine was broken up in 1932.
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.
HNLMS Onverschrokken (A856), also known as HNLMS Mercuur (A856), was an Onversaagd-class minesweeper of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). Soon after being taken into service of the RNN, the ship was put into reserve alongside the rest of the minesweepers of the Onversaagd class. Later, in 1973 she was renamed as HNLMS Mercuur (A856) and used as submarine support ship till her decommissioning in 1987. Nowadays, she is a museum ship that can be visited in Vlissingen.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
The Borndiep-class was a ship class of 10 minesweepers that served between 1946 and 1962 in the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). They were former British Yard Mine Sweepers (BYMS) that were transferred from the Royal Navy to the RNN in 1946.
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 Krakatau was a minelayer of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). She was built in the Dutch East Indies and served between 1924 and 1942 in the RNN.
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 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 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 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.
The Ram class was a ship class of two minelayers built in the Dutch East Indies for the Government Navy. However, before the minelayers could be completed the Dutch East Indies was invaded by the Japanese. As a result, the ships were completed as gunboats by the Japanese and taken into service of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Mijnenlegger I was a planned minelayer for the Royal Netherlands Navy. However, before the ship could be completed the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies and as a result the ship was destroyed to prevent it from being captured. If the ship had been completed it would have been the largest and fastest minelayer of the RNN at the time.
The Goeree class was a ship class of ten minesweepers that served in the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) between 1947 and 1956. They were former R boats that served in the Kriegsmarine and German Mine Sweeping Administration. In 1947 they were transferred to the Netherlands as war reparations.