Member of Class
Boat
K XI
Sister Ships
K XI, K XII, K XIII

 

K XI. Date and place unknown.  (Photo: © Collection G.D. Horneman)
.
K XI. Date and place unknown.  (Photo: © Collection G.D. Horneman)

 

1921

3 Sep 1921: K XI is ordered.

1922

9 Dec 1922: K XI is laid down at the Fijenoord shipyard in Rotterdam.

1924

24 Apr 1924: K XI is launched.

18 Nov 1924 - 24 Mar 1925: is overseeing construction of the K XI at Rotterdam.

1925

24 Mar 1925: K XI is commissioned to the Royal Netherlands Navy.

24 Mar - 3 June 1925: K XI is under the command of .?

3 June - 5 Aug 1925: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

10 June - 4 Aug 1925: O 8, K XI, Jacob van Heemskerck, Tromp, Z 3 and Z 5 are part of a squadron trip to the Baltic, which visits the ports of Lithuania, Letland, Estonia and Finland.

4 Aug 1925: The ships arrive in Nieuwediep (Den Helder).

15 Oct 1925 - 1 July 1926: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

15 or 25 Oct - 28 Dec 1925: The K XI departs Nieuwediep (Den Helder) and sets sail to the Dutch East Indies via the Suez Canal. Until Tunis Prof. Dr. F.A. Vening Meinesz, B Sc. is on board in order to conducts gravity measurements.

For more information about these gravity measurement and the Professor's submarine voyages read the book .

29 Oct 1925:  K XI is in the port of Tunis

28 Dec 1925: K XI arrives in Sabang (Dutch East Indies).

1926

14 Jan 1926: K XI arrives in Soerabaja (N.E.I.).

1 July - 12 July 1926: K XI is under the command of Ltz. II  .

12 July 1926 - ?: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1930

1 Feb 1930 - 1 June 1931: K XI is under the command of .?

1931

1 June 1931 - 1 Nov 1932: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1933

8 July 1933 - 12 Feb 1934: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1935

15 Feb - 23 Apr 1935: K XI is under the command of Ltz. II  .

1936

reports: 17 Apr 1936 - 11 Jan 1937: K IX is under the command of Ltz. I  .

? 1936 - June 1937: K XI is under the command of Ltz. II  .

1937

June 1937 - Sep 1937: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1938

? 1938 - ? 1938: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1939

6 Mar 1939 - 9 Sep 1940: K XI is under the command of  Ltz. II  / Ltz. I  .

1940

10 May 1940: Germany attacks the Netherlands.

1941

29 Mar or 28 Apr 1941 - 1 Oct 1943: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

7 Dec 1941: K XI is patrolling the Gulf of Siam

7 Dec 1941: The USA declares war on Japan after Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbour. Approximately 7 hours after the attack the Netherlands also declares war on Japan.

7 Dec 1941: The CZM radios the message #109 1207-2215 "War with Japan has broken out".

8 Dec - 21 Dec 1941: K XI patrols off the East coast of Malaya.

7 Dec 1941: The USA declares war on Japan after Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbour. Approximately 7 hours after the attack the Netherlands also declares war on Japan.

7 Dec 1941: The CZM radios (#109 1207-2215) that "War with Japan has broken out".

9 Dec 1941:  C-in-C Eastern Fleet orders (#154 1413 9Dec'41) Submarine Divisions and (O 16, K XVII, K XI, K XIII, K XII) to form a line N180ºE, distance between the submarines should be 20 miles. O 16 should be 40 miles South of the Poeloe Obi Light at 08º26'N-104º50'E. At Dec 10 at 23:30 MTG, but not sooner, the boats have to sail a general course of N260ºE between Kota Bharu, Malacca and Singora, Thailand. This because a large number of transports has been spotted off the coast 05º30'N and 07º30'N (#156 1209-2045).

10 Dec 1941: K XI attacks the Japanese landing fleet north east of Malaya.

13 Dec 1941: C-in-C Eastern Fleet orders (#312 ) O 16 to return to Singapore East Sanctuary during daylight of 16 or 17 December. Staying submarines are to take positions at best speed between Anambas and the Malaya shore, on a line of bearing 310º from Mangkai light, 20 miles apart in the sequence K XII, K XIII, K XI, K XVII. K XII is to be 20 miles from Mangkai light.

14 Dec 1941: Japanese planes bomb Tarempah (Anambas Islands) which is Netherlands East Indies territory.

15 Dec 1941: C-in-C Eastern Fleet reports (#353 0009/15Dec'41) that enemy ladings are taking place, accompanied by war ships, near Pahang River, latitude 003º30N. Later C-in-C Eastern Fleet orders (#360 0330/15Dec'41) that K XVII, K XI, K XIII and K XII are to spread shore course of 270º from their positions.

27 Dec 1941 - 3 Jan 1942: K XI patrols the South China Sea. No attacks are made.

27 Dec 1941: Japanese invaders occupy Tambelan Islands, Dutch territory, between Borneo and Singapore.

1942

10 Jan - 18 Jan 1942: K XI patrols off the west coast of Malaya. No attacks are made.

23 Jan 1942: K XI is under Dutch operational control again.

23 Jan - 4 Feb 1942: Because of engine damage the K XI has to return to Soerabaja. where she is repaired.

5 Feb - 19 Feb 1942: K XI patrols off the east coast of Sumatra. No attacks are made.

16 Feb - 3 Mar 1942: K XI is under repair at the Naval yard in Soerabaja.

3 Mar - ?17 Mar 1942?: The Japanese are invading the Dutch East Indies and the K XI must flee to Colombo. During this trip, from Soerabaja to Colombo, ten staff officers of the Soerabaja Submarine Service are also on board the submarine.

8 Mar 1942: K XI picks up a total of 18 survivors of the Australian sloop Yarra, the British depot ship Anking and the Dutch freighter ms Parigi. Unfortunately one survivor dies.

?17 Mar 1942?: K XI arrives in Colombo

9 Mar - June 1942: K XI is based in Colombo and is under British Eastern Fleet operational control.

8 Apr - 12 Apr 1942: K XI patrols the Indian Ocean. No attacks are made.

13 Apr - 16 Apr 1942: K XI patrols the Indian Ocean. No attacks are made.

June 1942 - 194?: K XI is based at the ASW School in Karachi (Pakistan) and Bombay (India).

June 1942 - Oct 1943: K XI is used as an ASDIC piggy boat for the British Royal Navy and the Royal Indian Navy.

30 Aug 1942: K XI arrives in Bombay. She is transferred to India because there are no docks for her available in Karachi.

1943

16 Sep 1943: K XI crew member Ltz. III  J.J. Snaauw dies in an accident and is currently buried at Delhi War Cemetery in New Delhi. Details on this accident that took place in Bombay are unknown. Please email us when you have any additional information.

1 Oct 1943 - 10 Apr 1945: K XI is under the command of Ltz. I  .

Oct 1943 - Feb 1944: K XI is under repair in Bombay. During this refit she is possibly also fitted with a new battery K XI is the first Dutch submarine that gets a battery with cell trays made out of permali.

1944

Feb 1944 - Mar 1945: K XI is used as an ASDIC piggy boat for the Royal Indian Navy and several escort groups.

1945

20 Feb 1945: K XI departs from Bombay (India) and sets sail to Fremantle (Australia).

At request of the British Royal Navy the K XI is transferred to Fremantle. Where the crew is required for operational submarines.

3 Mar - 22 Mar 1945: During her transit from Trincomalee (India) to Fremantle the K XI patrols off Padang.

Apr 1945: K XI is based in Fremantle and under U.S. operational control.

10,11 or 12 Apr 1945: K XI is decommissioned.

8 May 1945: Germany surrenders.

15 Aug 1945: Japan surrenders.

Date unknown: K XI is transferred from the harbour to Leeuwin III (Freshwater Bay Yacht Club aka HMAS Leeuwin I , Perth) where she is partially dismantled (not confirmed) and the deck gun is donated as memento. Nowadays the deck gun of K XI is still on display in the grounds Yacht Club.

In Sept 1998 A.J. Taminiau took some photos of this deck gun. He writes: "The writing on the elevation dial is in Dutch. The gun is a Bofors from 1923. On the breech block are some markings: Kn.v/8.8cM.No2.Mal.No7 Bofors 1923, 1495 kg. On the barrel is a number B 3057"

Check the Photos of the K XI page for photos of the deck gun.

21 June 1945: K XI is handed over to the R.A.N. in Fremantle for transmission to the Australian Disposal Committee (Colonel Boaz).

Late 1945: The K XI is sold by Mr. Luke Kleiman to the New Yorker Mr. McMinn.

The submarine is dismantled further on the Fremantle slipway. She is moved and finally taken off the slipway at IAM. K XI is moored alongside another Dutch vessel. where she sinks, on account of a depth gauge left off the hull.

1946

Diver Ball is instructed to blanket all holes and torpedo tubes. After six weeks the submarine is raised. The vessels that perform the operation are the tug/diving tender Agnes from the Harbour Trust and the harbour boom defence vessel HMAS Koorangi.

Check the Photos of the K XI page for photos of this salvage operation

Sep 1946: After being dismantled at an area in the harbour known as the "tarpot" (North Wharf near the old railway bridge) diver Ball takes the K XI 12 miles off Rottnest island and scuttles the submarine in the "Rottnest Graveyard". Position of scuttling: 32°03'S-115°22'E.

 

 

K XI related pages
K XI boat history
K XI photos
 
K IX related books
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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