Specials

Special Royal Netherlands Navy Submarines in World War II

From 'Navies of the second world war': 'Royal Netherlands Navy'. (1967).

Originally all Dutch submarines intended for home service had the prefix 'O' (for onderzeeboot=susbsea boat) followed by an Arabic number, while those intended for service in the East Indies had the prefix 'K' (for koloniën=colonies) followed by a Roman number. (see footnote) The main difference between them was that the former were generally small boats suitable for North Sea work, while the latter were larger to incorporate the necessary radius of action required in the Eastern theatre. But this practice was abandoned in 1937 when the K XIX and K XX were renamed with 'O' prefixes, and submarines thereafter were considered as interchangeable between home and overseas stations.

O 8

The oldest submarine in commission when the Netherlands were invaded in 1940 was the O 8. She was the former British submarine H 6 which, during the First World War, was wrecked on the Dutch coast in 18 Jan 1916.

She was salved the following month and interned, and was later purchased and incorporated into the Royal Netherlands Navy. Captured by the Germans at Den Helder, she was used for training duties in the German Navy.

The K VII was of the British Hay-Denny saddle tank design, and was on the small size for overseas work even for the period in which she was built. She had two fixed tubes in the bow, two fixed in the stern, and a twin external traversing mounting just forward of the conning tower. - an arrangement which featured in many subsequent designs. The succeeding boats, K VIII-X, were of the American Holland design, and were generally similar - but larger - but omitted the external tubes. Size again increased with the K XI-XII, which were of Dutch design which shipped two additional tubes forward, for the larger 21-inch torpedoes, and could dive deeper. They also differed in appearance and had a rounded bow and raised casing forward, in contrast to the earlier boats which had a noticeably flush casing with a vertical, sharp stern.

The next group of boats  O 9-11, were for home service and were generally diminutives of K XI, with less power and speed and only a single tube aft. Marked improvements were made with the succeeding class, O 12-15, as a result of tank test at Wageningen. A modified hull form was adopted which allowed greater speed for static output, the hull was largely welded, and the pressure hull and hatches were made especially strong which enabled them to dive deeper. The deck gun was omitted, but two light anti-aircraft guns were provided in watertight wells which formed extensions of the conning tower forward and aft. The reasoning behind this was sound as, in home waters, surface surveillance would be strict and would be principally carried out by maritime aircraft. There would therefore, be little opportunity to use a low-angle deck gun, while high-angle guns to beat of air attack provided submarines with a defensive capability if caught on the surface and unable to immediately dive. Although five tubes were still fitted, they were all of the larger type for 21-inch torpedoes.

All the above features were included with the following boats, K XIV-XVIII, but as they were intended for overseas work the deck gun was re-introduced, as were twin external-traversing tubes forward of the conning tower, while an additional fixed tube was shipped aft.

O 16 in Den Helder, note the opened doors of the external-traversing torpedo tubes and the net cutter.

Although the succeeding boat, O 16 (conspicuous by her net cutter forward), was slightly larger, she was intended for home service, and prompted the decision to cease distinguishing between home and overseas boats.

In reviewing their defence problem in home water the Royal Netherlands Navy now looked beyond the North Sea as an operating area for their submarines. consequently, the requirements for a boat for Atlantic operations would not greatly differ from that of a boat deployed in the far Eastern Oceans, and with the limited funds of the Royal Netherlands Navy could ill-afford to build boats with geographic limitations of employment. Viewed in this light the introduction of general service submarines like the O 16  is not illogical.

Therefore, the next boats. originally designated K XIX and K XX, adopted the now general prefix 'O' and were the first Dutch submarine minelayers. They were experimentally provided with air masts in order that their diesel engines could be run while submerged, a feature which was further developed by the German Navy during the Second World War and tended to obscure its true origin. Mines were carried two apiece in external shafts amidships on each side. the final group of submarines, O 21-27, were basically similar to the previous class except that, not being fitted for mine laying, they could be dimensionally smaller without sacrificing military qualities.

During the Second World War the Royal Navy transferred one unit of the 'S' class in 1943, two units of the 'T' class and one unit of the 'U' class, all on completion to the Royal Netherlands Navy, as replacements for some of the older Dutch submarines, which proved difficult to maintain, and to utilize their trained crews.

 

From 'Navies of the second world war': 'Royal Netherlands Navy'. (1967).

Footnote 1 added by webmaster: Originally 'O' boats were paid for by the ministry of defence and 'K' boats were paid for by the ministry of Colonies.
Pictures: All pictures added by webmaster.

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