 HNLMSDouwe Aukes | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Douwe Aukes class |
| Builders | Gusto,Schiedam |
| Operators | |
| Built | 1919–1922 |
| In commission | 1922–1960 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Retired | 1 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type | Minelayer |
| Displacement | 687 long tons (698 t) (standard) |
| Length | 54.8 m (179 ft 9 in) (pp) |
| Beam | 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in) |
| Draught | 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2vertical triple expansion engines |
| Speed | 13knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) |
| Endurance | 115 t (113 long tons) coal |
| Complement | 60 |
| Armament |
|
TheDouwe Aukes class (also known as theVan Meerlant class[1] and theAukes class[2]) were twominelayers built for theRoyal Netherlands Navy during the 1920s. The two ships were built at the Gusto shipyard inSchiedam. Construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1922. Built to serve in the Dutch territorial waters, both ships were still in service during theSecond World War and they both escaped to the United Kingdom,HNLMS Douwe Aukes on 14 May andHNLMS Van Meerlant on 18 May 1940. Both vessels were transferred to the BritishRoyal Navy.Van Meerlant was sunk by amine in 1941 while in British service.Douwe Aukes was returned to the Royal Netherlands Navy following the war and was used as adepot ship until sold forscrap in 1962.
TheDouwe Aukes class was an improved version of the precedingHydra-classminelayers.[3] TheDouwe Aukes class had astandard displacement of 687long tons (698 t) and 748 t (736 long tons) at normal loads. They measured 54.8 metres (179 ft 9 in)long between perpendiculars with abeam of 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in) and adraught of 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in). The minelayers were powered by steam from twoYarrow boilers to twovertical triple expansion engines each turning ashaft. The system was rated at 746kilowatts (1,000 ihp).[1][a] The vessels carried 115 t (113 long tons) ofcoal as fuel and had a maximum speed of 13knots (24 km/h; 15 mph).[1] TheDouwe Aukes class had a complement of 60 officers andratings.[3]
Both vessels were initially armed with three single-mounted 40-calibre 75 mm (3 in) semi-automatic guns and two single-mounted 12.7 mm (0.50 in)anti-aircraft (AA) machine guns. They carried 60naval mines.[1] Though they were larger than theHydra class, they carried ten less mines.[3] In British service,Douwe Aukes was converted to aconvoy escort and re-armed with one 75 mm gun AA gun, two single-mounted2-pounder guns and two20 mm (0.8 in) cannon.[2]
| Douwe Aukes class[3] | ||||
| Name | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Meerlant | Gusto,Schiedam, Netherlands | 24 November 1920 | 25 July 1922 | Mined inThames River estuary on 4 June 1941 |
| Douwe Aukes | 23 February 1922 | 2 November 1922 | Depot ship 1948, sold forscrap in 1962 | |
Following the end ofWorld War I, the Dutch government created a commission to give recommendations about the future of naval planning in light of developments during the war and in the treaties that followed. The commission recommended that in the Netherlands coastal waters,Royal Netherlands Navy priority was to be given to defend approaches to river mouths as the mostly like source of attack was by land.[4][5] In response to that recommendation,Van Merleentlaunched in 1920 and completed in 1922.Douwe Aukes was launched and completed that same year.[3]
With theGerman invasion of the Netherlands in 1940, and the defeat of the nation,Douwe Aukes andVan Merleent both sailed for the United Kingdom in May.Van Merleent was transferred to BritishRoyal Navy service on 14 March 1941.[3]Douwe Aukes was converted to a convoy escort leader and transferred to Royal Navy service on 29 April 1941.[2][3]Van Merleent did not survive much longer when on 4 June 1941, the vessel was mined and sunk in theThames River estuary.Douwe Aukes survived the war and was returned to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1945. In 1948, the vessel was converted to adepot ship and remained as such untilscrapped in 1962.[3]
