Launch of Zwaardvis in July 1970; sister ship Tijgerhaai can be seen on the right.
On 24 December 1965 the Royal Netherlands Navy gave Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij the order to build two submarines.[2] At the time of this order the Royal Netherlands Navy believed that these two submarines could possibly make use of nuclear propulsion. Like many other navies around the world the Netherlands got interested in nuclear propulsion after the United States had put USSNautilus into active service in 1955. The performance of this and succeeding nuclear submarine, such as the Skate-class submarines, were very promising at the time.[3] It made the Dutch navy believe that nuclear submarines would play a crucial role in the future and not developing one would mean to be left behind by other navies who were focusing on nuclear submarines.[4]
Construction of the torpedo tube launchers for ships of the class
In addition, the Royal Netherlands Navy was afraid that the diesel-electric Dolfijn-class submarines which had just entered service were no match for nuclear submarines. This would be problematic since the Dolfijn-class submarines were the most modern submarines the Dutch navy had at the time in their inventory. Furthermore, it was also a blow to the Dutch navy because their submarine fleet were just getting into the shape the navy had envisioned after the devastating Second World War.[5] Besides Royal Netherlands Navy, Dutch naval experts at the time also stressed in numerous articles how important nuclear submarines were and that there would not be such a big technological leap forward again in at least a decade.[6] These kind of statements and recommendations also encouraged the Royal Netherlands Navy to start thinking about acquiring nuclear submarines. In the meanwhile the keel laying of the two submarines that the Dutch navy had ordered took place on 14 July 1966. Zwaardvis was assigned building number 320, while Tijgerhaai was assigned building number 321. The two names were awarded by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, on 7 September.[2]
Operation of the periscope inside of the operations compartment aboard the Zwaardvis.
The Royal Netherlands Navy, together with research institute TNO, the Reactor Center of the Netherlands and Nevesbu, devoted itself during this time entirely on nuclear propulsion for submarines.[4] However, the construction of Dutch nuclear submarines would never become a reality.[2] There was simply not enough money, since the defence budget in this period could not cover the costs of both constructing nuclear submarines and maintaining all the ships in the Dutch fleet at the same time. Furthermore, already during the negotiations with the United States, it appeared that any nuclear submarines would not be built anytime soon.[citation needed]
The United States was not eager about the idea of the Netherlands building nuclear submarines, they rather had the Dutch navy focus on other areas within the NATO alliance, the negotiations therefore stopped in 1969.[7] Paradoxically NATO did support the Dutch nuclear desire, but added that if the Dutch navy did not succeed in the short term, then two conventional submarines would have to be built.[4] This is exactly what happened eventually with the Zwaardvis-class submarines being conventional diesel-electric submarines, with their hulls and general arrangement being based on the teardrop design of the last non-nuclear American submarine class, the Barbel class.
Design
HNLMS Zwaardvis (at front) and HNLMS Tijgerhaai, the two Zwaardvis-class submarines in Dutch service.Torpedo storage aboard the Zwaardvis; bow torpedo storage room.
The Zwaardvis-class submarines were designed by the Royal Netherlands Navy and further worked out by the four biggest Dutch yards at the time, namely RDM, Wilton-Fijenoord, De Schelde and NDSM, and also by Werkspoor N.V. and N.V. Nederlandsche Vereenigde Scheepsbouw Bureaux.[8] In comparison to the three-cylinder design of the Dolfijn-class submarines, the Zwaardvis-class submarines are based on one cylinder. The reasons why the Royal Netherlands Navy and its partners choose for this design was because it resulted in more space within the submarines, which would give the crew a more spacious accommodation and make it also easier to set up machines within the submarines.[8] The hydraulic system of the boats included three pumps and three accumulators.[9] They were equipped with controls sliders made by Rexroth.[9]
In addition, the submarines are based on the U.S. NavyBarbel class with the teardrop hull design, which results in the submarines producing less noise.[10] The propulsion of the Zwaardvis class is also different from the Dolfijn-class submarines, for example, it has a single propeller instead of the two propellers the latter has. Furthermore, it has more diesel engines, the batteries require less charging time, it can launch missiles and torpedoes from greater depths, the diving depth has increased substantially, and lastly it can stay longer submerged.[11] The introduction of the Zwaardvis-class submarines also led to the Royal Netherlands Navy using the Mark 37 torpedoes. In 1988 the Mark 37 torpedoes for the Zwaardvis-class submarines were replaced with the newer Mark 48 torpedoes.[12]
The two decommissioned Dutch boats, Zwaardvis and Tijgerhaai, were sold in 1995 to RDM, which was planning to try to sell them to a new customer.[15] In 1997 they were loaded onto a ship and transported to PSC-Naval Dockyard, Lumut, Malaysia in anticipation of purchase by the Malaysian Navy.[16] However, the Malaysian Navy declined the offer and chose the French Scorpène class instead. As a result, the two boats stayed for a long time in Lumut awaiting a buyer and possible refurbishment. In 2005 a Dutch judge ordered on 17 Augustus 2005 that Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij must start with demolishing the two boats before 1 September 2005, or bring the boats back to the Netherlands before 1 October 2005, else they would have to face penalties, such as a payment penalty.[17] Since Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij went broke, the Dutch Ministry of Defence eventually paid for the demolishing and scrapping of the two submarines. The costs of this were estimated at €2.8 million and the scrap was sold for €1.4 million.[18]
↑ Karremann, "Zwaardvisklasse niet vervangen: hoe Nederland belangrijke onderzeebootbouwkennis verloor".
1 2 3 A.H.A.P. van den Enden, A. Goedhart en P. Hamaker, Herinneringsboek Hr. Ms. Zwaardvis(PDF) (in Dutch), RDM-collectie Johan Journée, p.4, retrieved 23 April 2018
↑ W. Vinke, "De voortstuwing van schepen door middel van kernenergie" in: Militaire Spectator - Wetenschappelijke jaarberichten 127 (1958) p.21-22.
↑ "Kort geding RDM om onderzeeërs"(PDF). Klaar Voor Onderwater (in Dutch). Vol.28, no.93. Den Helder: Onderzeedienst Reünistenvereniging. September 2005. p.16.
The Walrus-class submarine is the only submarine class currently in operation in the Royal Netherlands Navy. The boats have been in service since 1990 and are all named after sea mammals.
HNLMS Walrus (S802) was a Walrus-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy. After a long delay following a serious fire during construction, the submarine entered service in 1992. Walrus was deployed both for naval exercises and in combat operations around the world. She was decommissioned in October 2023.
The Dolfijn-class submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy are a class of four submarines; Dolfijn, Zeehond, Potvis and Tonijn. They were built in the late 1950s and the early 1960s. They were the first indigenous submarines built in the Netherlands and for the Royal Netherlands Navy after World War II. In the Netherlands they are also known as "three cylinder" submarines.
The Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service is a department within the Royal Netherlands Navy that is responsible for the deployment of Dutch submarines. It was established out of the Netherlands Torpedo Service on 21 December 1906, and merged with the Netherlands Mine Service on 15 July 2005.
The O 21 class was a class of seven submarines, built for the Royal Netherlands Navy. The boats were still incomplete at the start of the German invasion of the Netherlands, O 21, O 22, O 23 and O 24 were hastily launched and escaped to the United Kingdom. O 25, O 26 and O 27 were not able to escape and were captured by the German forces. The Kriegsmarine ordered the completion of the boats and they entered German service as UD-3, UD-4 and UD-5. The submarines' diving depth was 100 meters (330 ft).
HNLMS K XVI was one of five K XIV-class submarines built for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). Entering service in 1934, the submarine was deployed to the Netherlands East Indies. On 24 December 1941, K XVI torpedoed and sank the Sagiri; the first Allied submarine to sink a Japanese warship. A day later, the Dutch submarine was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-66 off Borneo, with all aboard killed. The wreck of K XVI was rediscovered in October 2011 by a group of recreational divers and has since been illegally salvaged.
O 1 was a Holland 7P patrol submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was built by the De Schelde shipyard in Flushing and was the first submarine in the Dutch navy. It had a diving depth of 25 metres.
The Zwaardvisch class was a class of initially two, and later four, submarines that served between 1943 and 1965 in the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN). They were former T-class submarines. Two were acquired and transferred to the RNLN during the Second World War, while another two were loaned from the Royal Navy post-war for a period of five years.
K I was a unique patrol submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was built by De Schelde shipyard in Flushing. The boat had a diving depth of 40 metres (130 ft).
O 21, laid down K XXI was an O 21-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy that saw service during World War II. During the war she sank several ships, among them the German submarine U-95.
O 9 was an O 9-class patrol submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was built by Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde shipyard in Flushing.
HNLMS Dolfijn was a Dolfijn-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
HNLMS Tijgerhaai (S807) was a Zwaardvis-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
HNLMS Zwaardvis (S806) was a Zwaardvis-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
K XV was one of five K XIV class submarines built for the Royal Netherlands Navy. She served during World War II.
HNLMS Mercuur (A900) is a submarine support ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ship was built and designed specially to support the Dutch submarines. She entered service on 21 August 1987, and is the only surface vessel attached to the Dutch submarine service.
HNLMS Zeeleeuw (S803) is a Walrus-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy. She entered service in 1990 as the first submarine of the Walrus class, after the intended lead ship, HNLMS Walrus, was delayed for a long period following a serious fire during construction. Zeeleeuw has been deployed both for naval exercises and in combat operations around the world. Furthermore, the submarine plays an important role by performing intelligence operations. The submarine has undergone a mid-life maintenance and upgrade program between 2014 and 2016, and is currently in active service.
HNLMS Bruinvis (S810) is a Walrus-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy. She entered service in 1994 as the fourth and final submarine of the Walrus class, after HNLMS Walrus, Zeeleeuw and Dolfijn. Bruinvis has been deployed both for naval exercises and in combat operations around the world. As of December 2015 the submarine was in active service.
Moray was the name of a proposed new class of submarines developed by the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM). While a Moray class submarine was never actually built, the detailed design of the submarine class was fully completed.
The Dutch Underwater Knowledge Centre (DUKC) is a working group and knowledge platform aimed at preserving submarine knowledge within the Dutch industry. It consists of several Dutch companies and knowledge institutes that have experience and knowledge in the field of underwater technology. During the life extension program of the Walrus-class submarines DUKC played an important role.
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.
