 Dutch torpedo boatG13 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | G class |
| Operators |  Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Subclasses | 4 |
| In commission | 1904–1945 |
| Planned | 16 |
| Building | 16 |
| Completed | 16 |
| Lost | 2 |
| Retired | 14 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo boat |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 49.5 m (162 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) |
| Draught | 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power | 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2 boilers and 2 shafts |
| Speed | 26knots (48 km/h; 30 mph) |
| Complement | 27 |
| Armament |
|
TheG class was a series of sixteentorpedo boats built for theRoyal Netherlands Navy. Theclass sat in size between the smallerK class (K meaningKlein - Dutch for small) and the largerZ class (Z meaningZeer groot - Dutch for very large). The G class (G meaningGroot - Dutch for large) comprised four subclasses: theG1,G3,G7, andG13. All ships served during theFirst World War.[1][2]
The class was considered obsolete and worn out by the time thesecond World War broke out. This directly resulted in these ships not seeing much action.[1][2]
| Name | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 "Johan van Brakel" | 1903 | 1903 | 1904 | 1919 |
| G2 | 1903 | 1903 | 1904 | 1919 |
| G3 | 1903 | 1903 | 1904 | 1919 |
| G4 "Willem Willemsze" | 1903 | 1904 | 7 December 1904 | 1919 |
| G5 "Roemer Vlacq" | 1905 | 1906 | 1906 | 1919 |
| G6 "Pieter Constant" | 1905 | 1906 | 1 November 1906 | 1919 |
| G7 | 1905 | 1905 | 1906 | 1919 |
| G8 "Cornelis Janssen de Haan" | 1905 | 1906 | 8 October 1906 | 1919 |
| G9 | 1907 | 1907 | 1908 | 1919 |
| G10 | 1908 | 1908 | 1908 | 1919 |
| G11 | 1908 | 1909 | 1909 | 1918 after striking a mine |
| G12 | 1909 | 1909 | 1909 | 1919 |
| G13 | 5 March 1913 | 18 October 1913 | 11 March 1914 | February 1943 |
| G14 | May 1913 | December 1913 | June 1914 | January 1919 |
| G15 | 10 June 1913 | 3 January 1914 | 3 August 1914 | February 1943 |
| G16 | 22 July 1913 | 10 March 1914 | 29 July 1914 | 14 May 1940 Royal Netherlands Navy 3 May 1945Kriegsmarine |
TheG1,G3 andG7 subclasses were nearly identical. Only theG13 subclass was significantly different in that it was redesigned with full oceangoing capabilities in mind.This design would later serve as inspiration for theZ-class torpedoboats that came after.The boats G1 to G8 had all received names in addition to their G-number, their official names would however remain the G-numbers.[1][2]
G1 toG12 were all retired in 1919 as they were considered obsolete at that time, with the exception ofG11 which was decommissioned a year prior after hitting a mine left over from the First World War.G14 was also retired in 1919 but the reason for this is unknown.[1][2]
By May 1940 the Second World War broke out for the Netherlands. At that time,G13,G15, andG16 were still in service.G13 andG15 managed to escape to the United Kingdom where they performed some escort and patrol duties until being decommissioned as they were considered obsolete and unfit for service due to their age.[1][2]
G16 wasscuttled inDen Helder. The vessel was raised and repaired and was commissioned into theKriegsmarine as thetorpedo recovery vesselTFA-9. She was sunk atKiel at the end of the war in Europe and returned to the Netherlands where she was expended as atarget ship in 1948.[1][2]