Zwaardvisch-class submarine

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Hr.Ms. onderzeeboot Zwaardvis (S814, 1943-1962) boven water varend (2158 005845).jpg
HNLMS Zwaardvis
Class overview
NameZwaardvisch class
Builders Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness
OperatorsNaval Jack of the Netherlands.svg  Royal Netherlands Navy
Succeeded by Dolfijn class
In service1943–1965 [1]
General characteristics
Type Submarine
Displacement
  • 1,320 tons surfaced
  • 1,580 tons submerged
Length87.3 m (286 ft 5 in)
Beam8.1 m (26 ft 7 in)
Draught4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 15.5  kn (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) surfaced
  • 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged
Test depth60 m (200 ft)
Armament

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). [2] 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. [3] [4]

Contents

Background

During the Second World War the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service (OZD) re-evaluated in 1941 the state of its submarine fleet. [5] It concluded that new submarines should be acquired to compensate the loss of HNLMS O 13 and HNLMS O 22 and to replace some older submarines that had become obsolete due their age. [6] As a result in September 1941 a request was made to the British Admiralty to purchase three T- class submarines which were being built as part of a British building program that would be completed by 1942. [5] This request was rejected as the Royal Navy needed these boats themselves, instead the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) was offered two U-class submarines, which it accepted. [5] Nevertheless, there was still a need for more submarines for the OZD and after the construction program of the T class was well underway in 1943, the Dutch government-in-exile made another request to the British Admiralty on April 1943 for the transfer of a T-class submarine. [7] [6] This time the request was approved and on 6 December 1943 HNLMS Zwaardvisch was taken into service. [8] A year later, in 1944, the Dutch government started negotiations to acquire another T-class submarine. [7] This request was also approved and on 6 April 1945 HNLMS Tijgerhaai was taken into service. [9]

After the Second World War had ended the material of the OZD consisted mostly of old and worn-out submarines. [10] [11] While the RNLN made several plans to modernize the submarine fleet, it took many years till these plans resulted in the construction and commissioning of new submarines. [12] In the meanwhile the RNLN tried to loan some of the surplus submarines that allies such as the United Kingdom (UK) and United States had. [13] [14] In 1947 this led to the UK loaning two T-class submarines to the Netherlands for a duration of five years. [15] The two loaned submarines were during their service in the RNLN also considered part of the Zwaardvisch class. [16]

Design

All four submarines of the Zwaardvisch class were built in the United Kingdom at the shipyard of Vickers-Armstrongs in Barrow-in-Furness. [1] The boats had a displacement of 1,320 tons on the surface and 1,580 tons submerged. [9] When it came to measurements, they had a length of 87.3 metres (286 ft 5 in), a beam of 8.1 metres (26 ft 7 in) and a draught of 4.7 metres (15 ft 5 in). [17] The boats had a diving depth of 60 metres (200 ft). [18] They were considered less advanced than the O 21-class submarines. [19]

Armament

The primary armament of the Zwaardvisch-class submarines consisted of eleven 53.3-centimetre (21.0 in) torpedo tubes; eight were located at the bow and three at the stern. [20] Of the eight torpedo tubes at the bow six were installed internally and two externally, while all three at the stern were located externally. [21] Furthermore, the boats could carry a total of 19 torpedoes, with eleven torpedoes being placed inside the torpedo tubes and a further eight for reloads. [20] Besides torpedo tubes, the boats were also equipped with a single 10.3-centimetre (4.1 in) deck gun and a single 20 mm (0.79 in) machine gun. [9]

Propulsion

The Zwaardvisch-class submarines were equipped with two six-cylinder four-stroke Vickers diesel engines that could each produce 1,250 horsepower (930 kW) (combined 2,500 hp, 1,900 kW) [21] and drive the two screws of the submarine to a maximum surface speed of 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph). [22] Besides the two diesel engines, the submarines also had two electric motors that each could produce 900 hp (670 kW) and three banks of 112-cell batteries with a capacity of 5,350 Ah. [23] [22] [8] This allowed the submarines to operate solely on electric power for five hours. [23] The maximum speed underwater was 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph). [24] The Zwaarvisch-class submarines were also fitted with snorkels. [25] [21]

Service history

Second World War

The only submarine who saw action during the Second World War was HNLMS Zwaardvisch. [20] During the war the submarine completed several successful war patrols and managed to sink six ships, including the Japanese minelayer Itsukushima and the German submarine U-168. [8] The boat was also used for Secret Inter Service (SIS) and Special Operations Executive (SOE) operations. [7] As a result of its accomplishments, Zwaardvisch is considered one of the most successful Dutch submarines during the later part of the Second World War in the Pacific theater. [26] While HNLMS Tijgerhaai was also commissioned during the war, it saw no action due to entering service a few months before it ended. [20]

Post-war

After the Second World War both submarines returned to the Netherlands and were stationed at the Waalhaven Submarine Base. [8] [27] While the submarines were not involved in the Indonesian War of Independence and were regularly put in conservation, they did make patrols from time to time. [27] [8] In 1948 the HNLMS Dolfijn and Zeehond also became part of the Zwaardvisch class, after the United Kingdom agreed to lent these two submarines for a period of five years to the Netherlands. [25] That same year Dolfijn made history by becoming the first submarine to cross the Atlantic Ocean using its snorkel. [13] In March 1950 Dolfijn left for the Arctic Ocean as part of Operation IJsco. [28] [29] The purpose of the trip was to check how the crew and submarine would perform in cold and icy waters. [28] After six weeks the boat returned to the Waalhaven Submarine Base and the conclusion was that submarines of the Zwaardvisch class were not suitable for operations in the northern waters. [30]

Notes

    Citations

    1. 1 2 Raven (1988), p. 179.
    2. ↑ Schoonoord (2012), p. 318.
    3. ↑ van Amstel (1991), pp. 55-56.
    4. ↑ Jalhay (1982), pp. 122-124.
    5. 1 2 3 Jalhay (1982), p. 38.
    6. 1 2 de Bles, Boven and Homburg (2006), p. 98.
    7. 1 2 3 Jalhay (1982), p. 39.
    8. 1 2 3 4 5 Mark (1997), p. 92.
    9. 1 2 3 von Münching (1978), p. 46.
    10. ↑ Nooteboom (2001), pp. 13–14.
    11. ↑ Raven (1988), pp. 121–122.
    12. ↑ Jalhay (1982), p. 63.
    13. 1 2 de Bles, Boven and Homburg (2006), p. 102.
    14. ↑ Nooteboom (2001), p. 38.
    15. ↑ Woudstra (1982), p. 95.
    16. ↑ Schoonoord (2012), p. 318.
    17. ↑ van Amstel (1991), p. 55.
    18. ↑ Mooiman, B.A.; Bremer, J.T. (December 2004). "Aan de havenkant: Afzien op 'romantische' boten Zwaardvis en Tijgerhaai" (PDF). Klaar Voor Onderwater (in Dutch). Vol. 27, no. 90. Den Helder: Onderzeedienst Reünistenvereniging. p. 13.
    19. ↑ van den Pol, E. (December 2006). "Onderzeebootbouw in Nederland" (PDF). Klaar Voor Onderwater (in Dutch). Vol. 29, no. 98. Den Helder: Onderzeedienst Reünistenvereniging. pp. 23–33.
    20. 1 2 3 4 van Willigenburg (2010), p. 72.
    21. 1 2 3 Blackman (1953), p. 263.
    22. 1 2 Bosscher and Busssemaker (2007), pp. 86-87.
    23. 1 2 Jalhay (1982), p. 127.
    24. ↑ Lenton (1968), p. 45.
    25. 1 2 Gardiner, Chumbley and Budzbon (1995), p. 279.
    26. ↑ de Bles, Boven and Homburg (2006), p. 100.
    27. 1 2 de Bles, Boven and Homburg (2006), p. 101.
    28. 1 2 Karremann (2017), p. 22.
    29. ↑ "Dolfijn' vetrokken voor verre oefenreis". Het Rotterdamsch Parool (in Dutch). 13 March 1950.
    30. ↑ Karremann (2017), pp. 31-31.

    Bibliography

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