Prospective Names: HLMNS Holland, Gelderland, Noordbrabant. The Holland class Battlecruiser (Design 1047) remained one of the biggest what-if in the Netherlands naval history. As many other construction or paper projects in many navies by 1939-40 they were caught by the start of the war. These could have been the most formidable warhips ever in service … Read more
Tjerk Hiddes class Destroyers (1939) The Netherlands – 1936-40: Tjerk Hiddes, Isaac Swers, Philips Van Almonde, Gerard Callenburgh. The Tjerk Hiddes or Gerard Callenburgh class destroyers were specifically designed to counter the Japanese “special type” destroyers in the east indies. They were larger, faster, better armed and with greater range compared to the 1920s Admiralen … Read more
Admiralen class Destroyers The Netherlands – 1926-1942 HNLMS Evertsen, Korenaer, Piet Hein, Van Ghent (1st gp) HNLMS Banckert, Van Galen, Van Nes, Witte de With (2nd Gp) The first Dutch interwar Destroyers After two naval plans rejections in 1924, the Dutch Navy still had six pre-WWI destroyers in service. However in 1925 was approved a … Read more
The Netherlands East Asian Navy – Light Cruiser The pride of the Dutch Navy Although the De Ruyter was far from the most ambitious project of the Dutch Netherlands Navy intended for the Oostindies Marine (East Indies Navy), which were the De Zeven Provinzien class cruisers, cut short by the war, the best Dutch cruiser … Read more
Dutch Submarines of WW2 The Netherlands – 1909-1945 – 8 classes, 42 submarines*. The forgotten 8th submarine fleet We saw already the US, British, Japanese, Italian, French, Soviet and German submarines fleets, but there was one more is size and quality that matched them, especially given their battle records: The Dutch Netherlands fleet. Of course, … Read more
Tromp Class Cruisers (1937) The Netherlands – Tromp, Jacob van Heemskerck The first modern Dutch cruisers The Tromp class of the Royal Netherlands Navy (design Argonaut 600) were “flotilla leaders”, conceived as backbones of a squadron of modern destroyers built alongside. Ordered in 1935 they were launched in 1937 and 1939, completed just as the … Read more
The Netherlands – 1895-97: HNLMS Holland, Zeeland, Friesland, Gelderland, Noordbrabant, Utrecht. The Dutch Apollo-like cruisers after the Apollo class cruisers of 1890. In 1886, the Dutch naval staff planned an ambitious new class of six ships to serve as long range commerce raiders, in distant stations like i the East Indies, but morever to take … Read more
Java class cruisers (1921) The Netherlands – 1921 The battling Dutch cruisers The three cruisers of the Java class were started in 1916-17 to replace older units in the Dutch Navy squadron. The class counted the HLMNS Java, Sumatra and Celebes, but construction of the third was delayed and finally was abandoned in 1919, resources … Read more
