Buffel class Turret Ram (1868)

Dutch Netherlands Navy: Hr.Ms. Buffel, Guinea 1869-1897

The Buffel class were called “Ramtorenschip”, or Turret Ram armoured vessels. The Buffel is considered by some authors as the first of three ships, including Schorpionen, however due to many differences, we will see here the Buffel and Guinea as a separate class. Planned in 1966 and ordered that year, these were sea-going two-masted turret ships designed by Napier of Scotland, a first launched in 1867 and a second in 1870 at Amsterdam. They remained active until 1894 and 1897 respectively, modernized in 1886-87 but only the first was preserved as an accomodation ship, through WW1, WW2 and the cold war, until 1973, and a museum ship ever since, still with us today as the only remaining example in Europe of that type of ship.

Buffel 1976

Development

The Dutch Netherlands Navy in 1960 could not ignore the naval innovations of its neighbours, France and Britain, in terms of sea-going ironclads, making all its classic steam frigates and ships of the line obsolete. However budgetary constraints limited adoption of armoured ships, narrowed down to defensive vessels, either forw its own waters and East or West Indies colonies. Instead, inspiration came from the US Civil War and its monitors, which seems more affordable while their turrets was a versatile solution. That led to the constrcution of series of sea-going monitors and turret rams in the 1860s, up to 1894 whe the very last were built.

Buffel in Koningskade Hellevoetsluis, as of 18 July 2018, her final residence.

General Context (1860s Netherlands)

The 1850s–1860s in the Netherlands were a period of political stabilization, economic growth, and gradual modernization after earlier upheavals in the 1840s. The country was operating under the liberal constitution introduced in 1848, largely shaped by Johan Rudolph Thorbecke. It significantly reduced the king’s power and strengthened parliament (the States General). King William III of the Netherlands, which reigned 1849–1890 often clashed with liberal politicians but ultimately worked within the constitutional system. Politics in this era were dominated by liberals, who promoted civil liberties, free trade, and limited government. Compared to neighbors like Belgium or United Kingdom, industrialization was slower but steady:
-Expansion of railways (linking cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht)
-Growth in trade and shipping, especially via Rotterdam
-Early industrial sectors: textiles, shipbuilding, and food processing
The Dutch economy remained heavily tied to commerce and agriculture, rather than heavy industry. But for the Navy, its main concern was the Colonial Empire, maintaining the lucrative resourves coming from the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia). Through the Cultivation System (Cultuurstelsel) still in use in the 1850s, local farmers grew export crops (coffee, sugar, indigo), generated major profits whic in turn could be mobilized to finance a naval plan. However criticism grew, especially after the publication of Max Havelaar (1860) by Multatuli, which exposed abuses in the colonies. IThese resources also financed major investment in railways (first lines opened in the 1840s, expanded in the 1850s–60s), new canals and waterways, improving trade routes wheras cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam became increasingly important commercial hubs, with a significant merchant fleet that needed protection.

The Dutch Navy in 1864

The Dutch Netherlands Navy in 1860-64 comprised three large screw frigates (Wassenaer, Evertsen, Zeeland), two screw corvettes (Prinses Amalia class) anf the sloop HNLMS Vesuvius with seven more in cionstruction at the time, ten more small screw vessels and fourteen side-wheelers. It also still counted 2nd rake ship of the line 74-guns, three sailing frigates of 52 guns, four 21 guns corvettes plus seven 20-28 guns bricks. Modernization came from a conversion, not a new built: HNMLMS De Ruyter, a former 74 gun rate of 1831, converted as a 50-guns razee frigate already in 1850, a screw ship in 1860, and a broadside ironclad in 1863, the first in Dutch service. But her career was short. HNLMS Prins Hendrik der Nederlanden was the first purpose-built, a turret ship launched at Laird in 1866.

Dutch Armoured Rams

Meanwhile, the Dutch envisioned smaller vessel, that would be named “monitors” given ther small size and turret armament. The were still however sea-going ships, very different from the riverine vessels used in the American Civil War. They were designed as a reduced version, shallow-draught vessels of the Prins Hendrik der Nederlanden. Two classes were ordered, four ships total, the Buffel class and the Schorpionen class, all “turret rams” ordered from Napier and Amsterdam for the first pair and, Laird or La Seyne for the second, all using their own specifications. In Dutch they were called “turret rams”. Newt were built proper monitors, without ram, shallow-draught turret ships of the Heiligerlee, Bloedhond and finally Adder class, an unprecedented effort from 1866 to 1872. Then a second wave, Koning des Nederlanden (1874), Draak (1877), Marador (1878) before the effort was paused until 1890.

The Buffel class, subject of this post, were the first class of two with the generally similar “turret rams”. The difference with Prinz Hendrik der Nederlanden (PHN) was their size and capabilities. They were much smaller vessels, rigged on two masts in a simplified way, still capable of overseas operations and long crossings, but less than PHN which was fully rigged and had more coal, better machinery. The armament was the same however, two 9-inches RMLs, but in a single rather two turrets. A commission was sent to Britain to study the best designs, and built one ship in the Neterlands. Napier was chosen, and a licence was acquired after a contract was signed in 1866, wheras the same year, a commission obtained a contract at Laird to built a somewhat similar vessel, and another sent in France seign a contract with FC La Seyne in Toulon for the same design, in order to give four capable armoured ships to the Navy in a short time. The Buffel and Schorpionen class were definitely local defense vessels, albeit they were capable of overseas deployments, to the West and East Indies if needed. They were the last of that type before a serie of monitors.

Design of the Buffel class

Line drawing from Brassey’s Naval Annual 1888

General Outlook

The Buffel-class essentially were designed to the same specification as the Schorpioen class. They were however a bit smaller at 205 feet 8 inches (62.7 m) long overall, for a beam of 40 feet 4 inches (12.3 m) and draft of 15 feet 9 inches (4.8 m). Displacement was 2,198 long tons (2,233 t). One key elements of their hull was a properly reinforced ram bow. The crew ampnted at first to 117 officers and enlisted men. Later inn tbeir career it crew up to 159 as more armament was added. The hull still had an important draught as well as an imposing freeboard for oceanic crossings, unlike later monitors. The turret, their only armament, was located amidships forward, with a belt close to the waterline, and an upper strakes covering the sides of the turret.

There was a conning tower for superstructure installed just aft of the turret and also acting as main bridge, a single funnel, slighlty raked, as well as two simple masts with a schooner-style rigging for easier manoeuvers. For their crew they carried four boats under davits aft and two or more on deck after of the funnel and mast. There was still a decorative aspects to the ship and a windows and golden-painted panelled “castle” was present at the poop for the officers’s quarters.

Powerplant

The Buffel class ironclad turret rams were powered by two-cylinder compound-expansion steam engines from Napier. In some sources it was decribed the same as for the Schorpionen, HRCR type. Each drove a 12 foot (3.66 m) propeller. It would not be lifted up when going under sails, but likely was 2-bladed to be fixed in line with the keel and reduce drag. Steam came from four boilers (type unknown, but rectangular). These engines were designed to produce a total of 2,000 indicated horsepower (1,500 kW). Top speed as contracted by Napier was estimated to be 12.4 knots (23.0 km/h; 14.3 mph).

Early trials were not as enthusiastic, as the Buffel could only reach 11.2 knots (20.7 km/h; 12.9 mph) and her sister Guina later reached 11.5 knots at best. This was already too slow for efficient ramming as shown in the recent 1864 battle of Lissa. The Buffels carried 150 long tons (152 t) of coal for prolongated operations. For longer crossing they had two pole masts for a schooner rigging, simple to brace and operate but not very efficient to catch winds and produced a great speed, probably around 8-9 knots at best under sail.

Protection

Belt

The Buffel class had a complete waterline belt made of wrought iron plates. It ranged in thickness from 6 inches (152 mm) amidships, to 3 inches (76 mm) at both endss.

Gun turret

The walls had 8 inches (203 mm) plating, increased to 11 inches (279 mm) around the gun ports, facing the adversary. The base had 8 inches armor.

Conning tower

It had 5.7 inches (144 mm) thick walls all around and slight slits. It contained a wheel for the helmsman and a few officers can stand in it. The observation bridge was built above. The CT went down to the level of the upper deck armour.

Decks

The upper deck armor ranged in thickness from 0.75 to 1 inch (19 to 25 mm), just to bounce off incoming shells. There was no waterline armour deck.

Armament

The Buffel were really simple ships as the armament was concentrated in a single turret forward amidship, housing a pair of Armstrong 9-inches RML. However after completion this was completed by two pair of 4.7 inches, 16 caliber guns under shields on deck, like for Prinz Hendrik der Nederlanden, to bring extra, faster firepower, given the very long reloading time of the 9-inches guns.

9-in (229mm)/14 Armstrong 12.5-ton MLR

Armstrong 9-inch (229 mm) rifled, muzzle-loading guns mounted in the Coles-type gun turret.

4.7-in(120 mm)/16 Armstrong

They were described as four 30-pounder smoothbore guns.

Upgrades

Later in their career, in the early 1880s, the turret was gutted and rebuilt around a single, 11-inches (283 mm) 22 caliber Krupp gun, completed by four 1-pdr (37 mm) 20 caliber Hotchkiss and two 1-pdr 17 caliber Hotchkiss Revolver to deal with torpedo boats. This was their only major modernization before they were retired.

⚙ specifications Buffel class
Displacement	2,198 long tons (2,233 t)
Dimensions	205 ft 8 in x 40 ft 4 in x 15 ft 9 in (62.7 x 12.3 x 4.8 m)
Propulsion	2 shafts Compound ES engines, 4 boilers, 2,000 shp (1500 Kw)
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph), see notes
Range	150t coal, c1,000 nm at 10 kts
Armament	1×2 9-in/14 RML, 4x 30-pdr SB, see notes
Protection	Belt: 3–6 in, Turret 8–11 in, Deck 0.75–1 in, CT 5.7 in
Crew	117, later 159

Career of the Buffel class

It is said that Hr Ms Buffel was the first of three (Buffel, Schorpioen and Stier) ironclad turret-ram ships built for the Royal Netherlands Navy between 1867 and 1869. Her mission was coastal defense in the North Sea. Buffel never engaged an enemy vessel during her 17 years in commission. Following her retirement from active service, Buffel became an accommodation ship, first at Hellevoetsluis and later at Den Helder. She served for many years as a stationary training hulk in the Amsterdam Navy Yard where she survived World War II. She is now fully restored as a museum ship. This post thus covers, as Conways did in its 1995 book on the “Buffel” class as a two-ship class, separated from the Schorpionen class. They will be seen next time.

HNLMs Buffel

HnLMS Buffel, named after the East Indies water buffalo, was ordered from Robert Napier and Sons, Glasgow, Scotland in 1866, laid down on 10 June 1867, launched on 10 March 1868 and completed on 22 July the same year. Her only ocean voyage was her maiden trip in 1868, from Glasgow to Den Helder. During it, it was discovered she rolled quite a lot, and becale very wet, very fast. From that day on, Buffel was wiefly kept for local and North Sea operations, onmy moved from time to time for exercises and manoeuvers to the port of call of Antwerp, Belgium, the first time in 1871. She however took par tin many national exercises with the Royal Netherlands Army, until 1894. In between she had been modenrized likely in 1881-82.

Buffel was retired from active duty in 1894, and was used for the next two years as a training ship. From 1896, she became an accommodation ship, berthed in a succession of naval establishments in the Netherlands. The last 25 years she remained mainly in Amsterdam. Amazingly she was sitll around in 1940, captired by the Germans that kept her in the same role. She was not rearmed, just used as accomodations ship from May 1940 until she was surrendered on 8 May 1945 to local authorities. Thus, a new career started for her, in the cold war. As the Netjherands soon joined NATO, she had the pennant number A 884 (for “auxiliary”) painted on her bow, “8” standing as as the first cipher for all Royal Netherlands naval ships. She was still listed, but completely unchanged. Many reunions of the Dutch naval staff thus took place on board, and many ceremonies as well, more fitting due to her luxurious officer’s quarters.

Buffel underway in October 1976 with the frigate De Ryuter in the background.

In 1973 at last, Buffel was officially decommissioned. In 1974, she was sold to the city of Rotterdam, to be converted asa museum ship and opened to the public after this was done, from 1979 onwards. Her permanent exhibition rooms inside depicted the classic era of the Dutch Navy, the 1700s, 1800s and up to WW1 plus the history of the ship herself. She was was moved later to Hellevoetsluis in 2013, to cut costs. She arrived on 5 October, moored temporarily inside the old style brick-made Jan Blanken dry dock, under a three-year lease. On 7 February 2015, she was berthed definitely at Koningskade 2, Het Groote Dock, Hellevoetsluis, as a complement to the new local historic naval quarter just developed. Buffel is there alongside the minesweeper Bernisse, and North Sea lighting ship Noord Hinder, operated by volunteers from “Stichting Museumschip de Buffel”.

Kapitein ter zee PW Osieck, Buffel

In October 2016 the latter however decided not to renew the three-year lease and volunteers try to saved her for her historical value in co-operation with the municipal councils of Rotterdam and Hellevoetsluis, with a full dossier and financing plan mounted in 2017. She also needed a refit as a museum with hew digital display. According to the latest news of April 2026:

Dear volunteers,
As you know, the current chairperson will be stepping down soon. At this moment, no successor has been found yet. This requires a sound and careful approach to ensure the continuity of De Buffel remains safeguarded.
We have therefore decided to temporarily reorganize tasks during this interim phase. Responsibilities will be distributed among the three board members, in close cooperation with the coordinators and with the support of the Advisory Board. Additionally, one board member will temporarily assume the role of coordination and external point of contact. What does this mean in concrete terms? The daily operations will remain as you are accustomed to.

The coordinators will remain the primary point of contact for planning and activities. The board remains responsible for the direction, finances, and contacts with the municipality. The Advisory Board will become more actively involved in the future of De Buffel.
We will not stand still during this period — on the contrary. Over the coming months, we will focus on three key areas:
• Continuity and strengthening of the team
We are actively working on recruiting new volunteers. Rejuvenation is necessary to keep De Buffel running in the future as well.
• Collaboration within the fortress
We are exploring more intensive collaboration with other heritage institutions in Hellevoetsluis and Voorne aan Zee. By joining forces, we can become stronger, mean more to visitors, and better anticipate the future.
• Experience and education
We will continue working on making De Buffel more attractive to a broader audience, with extra attention to youth, education, and interactive forms of experience.
In parallel with this, we are starting an active search for a new chairperson. We are looking for someone who is not only strong in governance, but who can above all connect, innovate, and shape the next phase of De Buffel together with us…

Her next drydocking is planned to take place in 2028, and it is investigated whether it is possible to combine this with a visit to Dordt in Stoom in 2028. She is also about to be featured in a 360° virtual reality visit.

HNLMs Guinea

Guinea, renamed after the colony while in construction, she was ordered at Rijkswerf, Amsterdam, to be built under Napier licence, and with the presence of advisors from the Scottish shipyard. She was laid down in 1867, buy only launched on 5 May 1870 and completed on 16 October 1873, when naval technology already advanced leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, her career is incomplete, and in research. In 1887, her armament was modernized, with the single 283 mm Krupp gun and secondary armament of four Hotchkiss 37 mm rapid-fire guns and two Hotchkiss five-barreled 37 mm revolver guns as described above. She was decommissioned and scrapped in 1897 at Bolnes. I hope to provide more info on her in the future.